Hell Week
by BG.0715
Summary: Version of Better Half, what happens when Stahl goes after the Parker sisters from Fire and Ice? Tig/OC, Juice/OC
1. Chapter 1

**HELL WEEK ****(**_**our**_** version of Better Half)**

**By BG and Reaper**

**PART 1: ****MANIC MONDAY**

Vix woke up drenched in sweat, with a pounding headache and a pain in her lower back that she couldn't quite identify. She noticed that she was alone in bed, got up and stumbled her way around the wall of antique decretive screens that partitioned off the 'bedroom' from the rest of Juice's studio apartment. She found Juice in the 'living room' playing a video game. He looked up when he heard her approach and patted the cushion next to him. "Did I wake you up? I was trying to be real quiet."

She shook her head no, a bad idea because it caused instant dizziness. She lied down and curled up next to him, pulling the blanket off the back of the couch and covering up with it to ward off the chills she felt, which were causing her very bones to ache. "Did my restlessness keep you up?"

"Nah, got a re-match with Half-sack tomorrow night, I ain't losin'… I am gonna kick his ass." He glanced over at her and is stunned to see how pale and miserable she looks. He put the controller down on the coffee table and reached over to touch her forehead, "Jesus Christ, you're burin' up."

She coughed and nodded, "Do you got any Advil or Tylenol… anything? I took the last I had in my purse before I went to bed."

He nodded, "I am sure I got somethin'." He got up and disappeared into the kitchen, returning with some Tylenol and a bottle of water.

She downed the pills with a gulp of water and closed her eyes.

"Come on, let's get you back to bed." He said, reaching to help her up.

Her body ached in protest, but she let him lead her back to bed. She curled up next to him and fell into a fitful sleep for several more hours.

When Vix finally lifted her head, her stomach cramped and a wave of nausea crashed over her. She was barely able to make it to her feet and stumble into the bathroom before she began vomiting profusely. Her restlessness had kept Juice from falling asleep, so when he felt her get up and heard her stumble into the bathroom he got out of bed and followed her. Without a word he grabbed a washcloth from the closet, wet it and placed the cold compress on the back of her neck. He sat down on the edge of the bathtub and rubbed her back while she vomited. When she finally came up for air, she looked worse than she had earlier.

"Can I get you anything?"

"You got a bullet?" She asked as she eased herself to a sitting position on the floor.

Juice stood up and disappeared from the room, returning with another bottle of water. Unscrewing the cap he held it out to her, "Have a small sip."

"I can't" She said.

"He crouched down in front of her, "Just a tiny sip. You don't wanna get dehydrated." He held it to her lips and she drank. It felt good on her now burning throat. She took another small sip and then felt an angry grumble in her stomach. She pushed the bottle away and put her head in the toilet and heaved violently.

Juice grimaced. He felt guilty for insisting that she drink the water. He screwed the cap back on the bottle, sat it on the sink and he grabbed the washcloth and re-wet it.

"I may have to kill you now." Vix said, when the vomiting subsided and she sank back down to the floor. She took the wash cloth Juice offered her and wiped down her face.

Juice sat down on the floor with her, "I had the best of intentions, with the water… you know."

She smiled slightly and nodded a little. "Yeah I know, thank you."

They sat on the bathroom floor, Juice holding her between bouts of vomiting, until the sun was streaming in around the edges of the blinds.

***

Cherry's arm reached out from under the covers and groped on the nightstand for the ringing phone. She located it, pulled it under the covers and nudged Half-Sack. "Baby… phone." She thrust it at him.

Half-Sack answered the phone in a groggy voice. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end of the connection was so loud that Kip had to pull the phone away from his ear, "Rise and Shine strumpet!"

"Chibs? Strumpet… Did you just call me a whore?"

Chibs laughed. "In a very polite manner of speaking… yes! Now get your lazy arse over here. There is a particularly brutal wreck out on the highway. Tow calls are pourin' in."

Half-sack yawned "Ok, be there in a few."

"Good! By the way, drag Juice on your way out, gonna need him too."

"He's not here, is he?"

Chibs chuckles "How in bloody hell am I supposed to know?"

Kip nudged Cherry. "Vix and Juice stay here last night?"

"Nope." She replied from under her pillow. "Probably at his place."

"Cherry says they are probably at his place."

"Great! Now you know where to stop on your way here. Your ONLY stop! No coffee calls or breakfast breaks. But if Ms. Ruby has some of her snack bars fresh made, grab me some of those fuckers. They are full of gooey goodness."

Kip nodded as he was pulling on his jeans. "Yeah, ok." He hung up with Chibs and dialed Juice's cell phone, getting voicemail. He thought that was odd, but left a message.

He nudged Cherry again. "Baby, wake up… I gotta go to work. You need a ride to Snips, since Vix isn't here?"

Cherry groaned and sat up. "Is it that time already? I was just in the middle of a dream…"

Half-Sack nodded, "Yeah, it's actually past that time… we are running late."

She grabbed her phone and sighed when she saw the time. "Shit. I'm gonna need like 10 minutes. Can you wait?"

Half-Sack nodded, "Absolutely."

Twenty minutes later he pulled his bike to a stop in front of the salon. Cherry climbed off the back "Are you gonna pick me up after work?"

Half-Sack smiled, "If I can."

***

Vix woke up to pounding, she thought it was in her head until she realized it was coming from across the apartment. In a very scratchy, weak voice she called "Juice" and nudged him.

His eyes fluttered opened, "Hmmmm?"

"Someone is at the door."

"What?" He listened and heard the pounding, too. "Shit." He got out of bed and grabbed his t-shirt off the top of the dresser as he passed on his way to answer the door. "Who is it?"

"It's Kip…open up."

Juice turned the locks and opened the door. "What's up?"

Kip grinned. "Apparently not you, here, drink this." He shoved a travel mug of coffee at Juice as he pushed past and walked into the apartment.

Juice closed the door and sniffed at the cup. "What is it?"

"Coffee." Kip replied as he took in Juice's rumpled jeans and t-shirt. "Unless you are wearing that to work, you'd better go change. We are both on the shit list, late again it seems. Chibs said there is a nasty one up on the Interstate and they need us out in the wrecker."

Juice shook his head. "I called out with Lowell. Vix is sick as shit, dude. Been throwing up all morning. Fever, weak … the whole nine yards. She is sleepin' now, well she was, but I don't think she should be alone."

The words were no sooner out of his mouth when they heard her stumble into the bathroom and begin retching.

Juice sighed. "Round 14. Excuse me." He set the coffee cup on the table and disappeared into the bedroom.

Half-Sack saw his way out.

***

When he saw Half-Sack arrive solo, Chibs shook his head and yelled over, "Hey Prospect, contrary to what you might believe, I AM speakin' English. So what part of 'b_ring Juice with you'_ didn't you get?"

Kip hurried into the garage bay. "I understood you. I stopped by his place."

Chibs nodded. "So where the fuck is he? And where the devil are my snack bars?"

"He's still at his place. Said he called off with Lowell."

Chibs glanced over at Tig, who shrugged and hollered for Lowell to come over. "Hey, did Juice talk to you this morning?"

Lowell nodded, "Oh shit, yeah… sorry. He said he needs to stay with Vix. She is having really bad morning sickness and…"

The entire garage got really quiet, which made the sound of the wrench dropping to the floor echo thunderously in the silence. All eyes shot in the direction of the noise and Clay found everyone staring at him. He looked at Lowell. "Juice said that Vix was having morning sickness?"

Lowell, looking increasingly uncomfortable, fidgeted. "Um, well he said she was throwin' up all morning."

Clay, Tig and Chibs exchanged a look. Tig then looked at the prospect. "Take the wrecker and head out to the accident. Take Lowell with you."

Kip nodded and he and Lowell disappeared.

Chibs sighed and looked over his sunglasses at Clay and Tig. "Morning sickness? Vix is knocked up?"

Tig looked at Clay. "This is fuckin' bad, man."

Clay rolled his eyes and looked at Tig. "Head over to Juice's, find out what the hell is going on. If she is still breathing on her own, I want his ass here. She can survive a couple of hours by herself."

Tig groaned. "Great, so I get to play truancy officer now?"

Clay's face twisted into a grin. "Yeah, we'll make you a patch and everything."

Chibs cracked up. "Don't forget my snack bars."

Tig shot them both the middle finger as he stomped out of the garage to his bike.

***

Luann Delaney stood off to the side watching a slew of federal agents disrupt the shoot and harass her cast. She glanced over at the agent in charge, sizing her up the way women do each other. T_otal bitch who gets off on being Alpha… seriously in need of a makeover, but then again you can dress a hog in a prom dress but you still couldn't dance with it. W_ith disgust clearly etched on her face Luann said, "I have a permit for this shoot and all the HIV cards are up to date. What does my shit have to do with ATF?"

Agent Stahl turned and looked at the reputed Porn Queen of the SoA. "Why should VICE get to have all the fun?" She glanced in the direction of one of the field agents who was walking towards them carrying what appeared to be a cigar box of goodies. Sorting through the various baggies, she remarked, "Pills, Poppers, Blow." She looked over at Luann. "This is enough to get you Possession, maybe even Intent to Distribute." She glanced at the field agent. "Shut it down. That's a wrap for_ Cecil B. d'M.I.L.F.. _You'll be coming with us, Mrs. Delaney."

***

The bell chimed indicating that someone had entered SNIPS. Eve, the owner, looked up to find Gemma standing there. "Hey, Gemma."

Gemma smiled as she slid her sunglasses off, "Hey Eve. I have a hair appointment with Vix."

Eve nodded. "I know. We tried calling your house but I guess you were out. Vix is sick today. If you want I can reschedule you for …"

Gemma just stared at the woman. "Do these roots look like they can stand to be _re-scheduled_?"

Eve sighed. "You look great as always, Gemma."

With a roll of her eyes, Gemma nodded. "Right. And maintaining that look is why I spend an ass load of time and money in this place. Now, what does _your_ schedule for today look like?"

Eve flipped through the schedule book, "I am booked solid starting ten minutes from now. However, Cherry will be available as soon as she finishes Mrs. Steckel's nails."

Gemma glanced over to the nail station where Cherry was chatting away with the customer while she applied a coat of polish. "She does great nails. How is she with hair?"

"She did a great job with Mrs. Eatenton's hair."

Gemma looks at Eve incredulously, "Please, she could not fuck that woman's hair up if she tried. All you have to do is tease it and make it look like a brown football helmet."

Eve laughs, "I guess you are right. Relax, Gemma. Your tresses will be well cared for."

Gemma looked from Eve to Cherry. "You'd better be right… for both of your sakes. So what is that matter with Vix?"

Eve shrugged. "Cherry got a call from Kip. He said Vix is sick as can be, been throwin' up all morning, poor thing."

The bell chimed and Eve smiled. "Hello, Mrs. Lakatosh. Wander on back to the shampoo station, I will be right with you." She looked at Gemma. "Have a cup of coffee and I will tell Cherry you're waiting."

Gemma nodded and grabbed a cup of coffee while she waited.

***

_**Bryony Garden Apartments**_ was the apartment building owned by Ruby Prevost, Juice's grandma. The place was a _haven for the retired_ and was home to Ms. Ruby, Henry Darling and the rest of the gaggle of seniors, who were affectionately referred to as _The Olds_. Juice had made the attic area into a studio apartment for himself. He lived there and was the un-official fixer-upper of everything that went wrong in the place. Given the age of the building and of the inhabitants, he was kept pretty busy.

Tig pulled his bike into the parking lot. He quickly crossed the lot and headed up the flower lined path that led to the building, passing Sadie and Milly on his way in. Despite his still being pretty pissed off by his current assignment, he smiled nicely and held the door open for the two. "Morning ladies."

Sadie eyed Tig suspiciously, "Why Alex Trager, you sound almost charming. What happened? You run over a small child with your motorcycle?"

Tig chuckled, "Nah, a little doggie". Leaving the two ladies to ponder the truth of his statement, he took the stairs two at a time up to the top floor and pounded on Juice's door, hollering, "Hey Romeo! Open Up!!!!"

Juice, who had just helped Vix get settled onto the couch, sighed and started towards the door.

Out in the hall, Tig continued to knock aggressively on the door and bellowed, " I know you're in there… so open the door. Cause I won't HUFF or PUFF… I'll KICK this fucking door down."

The door opened and Juice stood there staring at Tig. Inviting himself into the apartment, Tig walked past Juice.

Closing the door, Juice spun around. "Seriously Tig, what the hell? Are Zombies en route? 'cause I called and talked to Lowell and Half-Sack was just here like an hour ago. Vix is sick as shit and every time she about falls asleep…"

Tig held his hand up, "Not interested! I am here because Clay sent me. You're needed at TM." He glanced over at Vix and grimaced, "Christ, you do look like shit."

Vix rolled her eyes, "Such charm."

Tig smiled, "I know right? It must be really overflowing today, you're the second person to mention it." He looked over at Juice. "I'm serious. Grab your techno-gadget shit and let's roll. The sooner you get done whatever Clay needs doin', the sooner you can be back here playin' nurse maid."

Vix coughed. "Juice, just go."

"What if you need something or… or get worse? Let me call Clay."

"Baby, he sent Tig. Obviously it is _**very important**_. So, I'll manage for a coupla hours. Besides, I seriously doubt there is much left in me to throw up besides internal organs. And if you go maybe people will stop just showing up and I could try to sleep."

Juice looked from Vix to Tig and then back to Vix, "Good point. Ok, I'll be as quick as I can. I think I'll have Gram check in on you"

Vix nodded and shut her eyes, "Ok, fine… just leave the door unlocked, I am not moving from this couch unless I have to."

Juice nodded. He looked over at Tig, "I gotta grab my gear. I'll meet you outside in five."

Tig nodded at him and then looked over at Vix. "Feel better, Parker."

Vix mumbled something as she pulled the blanket over her head.

***

At the police station, a local deputy inquired. "So the plan is…"

Agent Stahl rolled her eyes, "The plan is… to enter the beauty parlor and execute the outstanding warrants on her. She held up a mug shot of Cherry. "And her." She held up a mug shot of Vix. "Are we clear?" A round of affirmatives could be heard. "Excellent. Ok people lets move."

Inside SNIPS, Cherry was just returning from the back room with an arm full of fresh clean towels when she spotted the three dark sedans stop in front of the building. Her stomach dropped to her feet and her heart leapt to her throat. Tossing the towels into an unoccupied chair, she beat a hasty retreat out the back door of the salon. She rouned the corner out of the back alley just before the two federal agents assigned to cover the back exit of the salon appeared. Cherry's heart raced with panic as she wondered how they found her in Charming. She knew she couldn't make it to TM without being spotted by the feds and suddenly recalled Gemma mentioning something about a quick stop at the grocery store and prayed that she was still around. She entered the store and was relieved to find Gemma pushing a cart down the one aisle. "Thank God you're still here." Cherry said a bit breathless.

Gemma eyed the girl, "What? Concerned about the size of the tip I left?"

Cherry looked at her, "What? Oh, no it was fine. I… I really need to talk to you." She glanced around nervously. "I haven't been completely honest with Half-Sack"

Gemma took notice. "I don't like where this is headed."

Cherry spewed forth details on her real-life problems and how she thought the feds found her and were trying to take her in. She got done with her confession about the same time as the feds entered the grocery store. Cherry's attempt to flee ended in her apprehension but not before she knocked one female federal field agent over the head with a bottle of wine.

Stahl saw Gemma watching the scene unfold with a sort of detached amusement and approached her. "You two seem chummy. If I recall correctly you almost killed that girl with a skateboard."

"We've mended fences."

"Really? So she was here to what…get advice from the queen on what lies to tell?"

Gemma nodded towards the front window of the store where Cherry was being put into one of the Fed cars. "That little tart… she don't know shit. All girls like her are good for is openin' beers and suckin' dick"

Stahl nodded, "speaking of, got the porn queen, too. What might she know?"

"Probably let you in on the secrets of giving a good hummer, but I am guessin' you got that covered."

Stahl nodded, "I get by. And what about Vix Parker?"

"I wouldn't know about Vix's oral aptitude… but Juice seems to be pretty happy."

Stahl laughed, "Not exactly where I was going with that question. Now, from what they say, her family has quite a history with The Sons of Anarchy."

Gemma grinned, "You gotta watch out for _they_… _they_ lie a lot."

Stahl cocked her head. "Do _they_ now? Well it'll be a good thing then, when I bring Ms. Parker in, that I can spot bullshit from a blimp in a fog storm."

"What could you possibly want with Vix Parker? She's a second rate fuck up and a first rate hairstylist but unless the SONS are needing hair cuts, dye jobs or manicures... what the hell use is she to them? Or to you with this little witch hunt of yours?"

Stahl nodded, "I'll keep that in mind. And what about you, Gemma Teller Morrow? I bet you've got a lot of secrets in that pretty little head of yours, enough to bring down an empire."

Gemma laughed, "I'm just a wife and a mother, darling." She leaned in really close to the Fed's ear and breathed, "But if you want me… you know where I live."

Stahl rounded up her cronies and exited the store. Gemma stood there watching the departure and then pulled out her pre-pay cell phone and dialed.

***

Clay sat perched on a bar stool in the SAMCRO clubhouse. He had just gotten done listening to what he highly doubted was the _short version_ of Juice's morning. He didn't say anything to Juice and had instructed Tig, Bobby and Chibs not to mention a word about the crazy pregnancy theory. With every fiber of his being, he sincerely hoped that it remained a _**crazy theory**_ – because from an evolutionary standpoint, Clay was not sure Juice and Vix should reproduce… EVER! When the cell phone in the pocket of his work shirt rang, he almost welcomed the distraction. He flipped the phone open, "Yeah."

In response he heard Gemma say, "Vix Parker needs to get the fuck outta Charming."

"From your lips to God's ears, baby!" He replied in all seriousness.

"I am serious, Clay. I just had a run in with that ATF bitch. She has Luann in custody, Cherry too. And speaking of that one, wait 'til you hear the story there… you will break something. But I am certain that Stahl is headed over to the Parker place as we speak to haul Vix in. You need to do something now, Clay!"

"Calm down! I'll handle it."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I said I'll handle it. You just do what we discussed, see to our Irish friend."

"Fine. Just be careful, that woman is a complete thunder-cunt."

Clay choked back a chuckle, "Yes, dear."

He hung up the phone as he walked out of the clubhouse and found Chibs and Juice. "Vix is in the ATF cross-hairs."

"For what?" Chibs and Juice ask in unison.

Clay shrugged. "Don't know and right now, don't care. Get over to his place..." He pointed towards Juice. "And get her the hell outta Charming. DO NOT take her anywhere near the cabin."

Chibs asked, "Where do you want us to stash her?"

Clay shrugged. "I am sure you two geniuses will think of something."

Juice and Chibs took off on their bikes towards Juice's apartment.

As he drove the sedan away, the agent looked over at Stahl. "One out of the two is now in custody, not bad."

She looked over at him incredulously, "It isn't good either. I want Vix Parker."

The agent looked questioningly at her, "I would think that the Grand Theft Auto, Arson, possible attempted murder would be the bigger score than what you have on Parker; the Public Drunkenness, Drunk and Disorderly, and Failure to Appear."

Thinking of the wealth of information on Vix Parker that fell into her lap this morning, Stahl would have begged to disagree. She shot her underling a smug look, "THAT is WHY you are NOT being paid to THINK... you are being paid to DRIVE. Now get me over to the Parker place."

The agent nodded and hung a left. They were halfway to their destination when Stahl spotted Vix's vintage Charger parked in the lot of an apartment building. "Stop the car!" She barked to the agent behind the wheel. "Pull in the lot, block the red Charger."

The agent did as he was told. Stahl called in their location and requested backup for the execution of a warrant.

Henry Darling was sitting on the patio of his apartment when he spotted the slew of federal agents with a couple of locals thrown in for good measure, converging on the building. He stood up and made his way quickly outside to the common hall. He saw Milly and asked, "Have you seen Ruby?"

Milly replied. "Not since this morning, why?"

Henry shook his head. "Go back to your apartment and stay there."

She looked alarmed. "Why? What is going on?"

"The Feds are here. And they are armed."

"Armed? What do you mean armed? Armed with what?" Milly asked, aghast.

"Err, bad breath, colorful language, feather duster... what do you think they're going to be armed with?"

"Guns?" Milly offered.

"There you go." Henry nodded. He saw her into her apartment and thought to himself,

_What started out as a good morning is now turning into a bad day in Bosnia._

Seconds later the front door opened and agents filled the hall.

Vix was just laying back down after another trip to the bathroom, when she heard loud pounding on the door. She sighed as she struggled to her feet. Her voice was hoarse, her throat was dry; she had the chills and stomach cramps and pains in her side and back. She heard the loud banging again followed by a muffled voice stating, "Federal agents, open the door!"

Vix tried to holler "I'm coming" but given her physical state, the words barely squeaked past her lips. She knew they didn't hear her and she continued to hobble across the room, each step causing excruciating pain. She was half-way across the apartment in her attempt to answer the door when the feds kick the door in. The sudden entry scared the crap out of Vix and she stumbled. The fed agent pinned her to the ground and cuffed her. She moaned and puked all over the floor.

The arresting agent side stepped the flow of vomit and cursed aloud, "Jesus Christ!"

Stahl looked over, "Poor little party girl."

Ms. Ruby rushed into the apartment and was shocked to see the manner in which they are practically dragging the half-lethargic Vix out of the apartment. "What business do you have with that girl? She is very ill." She looked around to see that other agents are tearing the place apart. "And what right do you have to be breaking down doors and searching through private property?"

Stahl addressed her. "And you may be?"

Ruby had been exchanging a worried look with a terrified Vix being led out of the apartment, cringing and wincing with each step. "I beg your pardon?"

"Who are you?" Stahl asked.

"Ruby Prevost, I own this building."

Stahl nodded, "Ah, yes… Mrs. Prevost, you also have the _delightful_ honor of being grandma to one Jean Carlos "Juice" Oritz."

Ruby nodded, "Yes, but really what is all this about? That poor girl has been extremely ill all night."

Stahl wasn't buying it. She shook her head and smirked, "Good try Grandma, but being that drug abuse and alcoholism practically GALLOPS through her family, I think she is more likely hung over and/or possibly strung out. And as for the bit of re-decorating that my agents are doing…I am calling this a Bonus!! We apprehend a fugitive and you never can tell what may be hiding In Plain Sight."

"Fugitive? Fugitive from what?"

"Justice, Ms. Parker has outstanding warrants from Mississippi."

From the corner of her eye she saw an agent enter the kitchen, internally she groaned not approving but having knowledge of what Juice kept in the cupboard above the sink. Outwardly she glared at Stahl, "Well I don't trust you as far as I can throw you. I am not leaving until you do."

Stahl shrugged, "Suit yourself, Gramma. Just stay out of our way and do not impede the investigation."

Ruby nodded, "Very well, but it is Tea Time and being the Brit that I am, missing it would be sacrilegious. Would you care for a spot of tea?"

Stahl shook her head. "We really don't want to be here any more than you want us to be here. So you just go enjoy your tea, _Mary Poppins_, and we'll try to wrap this up as quickly as we can."

Ruby headed towards the kitchen and shot dagger glances at the back of the bitchy federal agent. She put on water to brew and wiped the perspiration off her brow as she waited for the kettle to whistle. The agent currently poking through the kitchen glanced at her. Ruby rolled her eyes, "I am just making a spot of tea, your boss lady granted me permission. You may go inquire with her if you'd like."

The agent shook his head and exited the kitchen in a huff. Ruby used this opportunity to grab the tea bag box out of the cupboard. She peered inside and her heart skipped a beat or three. She heard footsteps approaching and glanced up to see Henry Darling and Sadie standing there. "What on earth are you two doing here?"

Sadie eyed her, "We should ask you the same question; quite a time for tea."

Ruby thrust the tea box at her. She opened it and her face paled. In barely above a whisper she asks, "That isn't…?"

Henry peered inside and then stared at Ruby. In hushed tones he asked, "Juice's?"

Ruby nodded.

"And you knew of it?"

Ruby nodded.

Sadie stared at her. "What do you plan to do with it?"

Ruby in her normal voice advised, "Would either of you care for some tea?" She took the box back from them and dumped the contents into the now boiling water.

Sadie's mouth dropped open. Henry just sighed, "Give me a cup."

Sadie gasped. "Henry Darling! Are you out of your mind?"

He smirked, "Sadie, that should be quite apparent by now."

He took the mug Ruby handed him and quickly downed the contents. Ruby drank hers and poured them each another, eyeing Sadie all the while.

Sadie finally sighed, "Oh, Hell's Bells. You are only 76 once, right?"

Ruby poured her a cup and the three of them clanked the rims together in a shared conspiracy.

The three had just polished off the kettle of tea when a commotion was heard from the front room. The three quickly hurried out of the kitchen to find that Juice and Chibs had arrived.

"Are you off work?" Juice asked as Jaci answered the phone.

"Yeah, I'm leaving right now. But I'm in Oakland this week. Wait a second, why are YOU calling me?" Jaci replied as she began loading her laptop bag into her car.

"We've got serious fucking problems. Vix is in jail." Juice blurted.

"What?! What happened?"

"That motherfucking ATF bitch Stahl just picked her up. Fucking tossed my apartment too, looks like a damn bomb went off. They fucking broke that cool picture frame you got me, the one with the skulls? Goddamnit!" Juice let out a frustrated grunt and then continued. "They arrested Cherry and Luann too. Got Vix on something to do with an outstanding warrant? Do you know what the hell that's about?!"

Jaci frowned and tried to rack her brain. _Warrant??_ Juice continued to rant and cuss while she was thinking. She had never heard him so upset before, hell she didn't even know he could _get _that mad. She thought she heard Chibs in the background telling him to calm down. "Hold up, Juice. Do you where the warrant is from, like jurisdiction wise?"

"It's from Mississippi. You guys lived in 'Bama, what's fucking Mississippi got to do with anything?!"

Jaci's heart sank as she immediately knew why Vix would have been in any trouble in the neighboring state. _Shit. Shit._ _Shit._ "Uh, Juice? I think I know what's going on. Let me make a call, ok?"

"Who you calling?"

"My uncle; just let me work on this for a bit. I'll drop by when I get back in town, ok?"

"Fine. Come by the clubhouse though, I can't stand to be in this apartment right now." Juice replied as he kicked an overturned trashcan across the room.

Jaci immediately called her Uncle BB. She took a deep breath as the phone rang. When her uncle answered she got right to the point. "I've got a little situation."

"And hello to you too, sunshine." BB replied. "What's going on?"

She grimaced and explained about Vix's arrest and her theory about the Mississippi warrant. Her uncle listened quietly and then muttered a few choice curse words.

"Well, if we want that warrant to go away, you know who I'm going to have to talk to. You ok with opening that door?"

She groaned. "Can't you go through Trace?"

"Hell no, you know Baylor don't even talk to Trace. Dean's gonna have to be the one to ask. We're just damn lucky Baylor thinks YOU _hung the moon_."

"Well, if Dean tries to weasel on this, just tell him it's HIS damn fault any of this even happened. I'm headed to the police department now to try and get the scoop and then I'm going to the clubhouse to calm down Juice."

"I'll holler back. Sit tight." BB replied.

Jaci opened the clubhouse door and was immediately greeted by Chibs. He pushed away from the bar and spread his arms wide in the air.

"PARKER!! What the fuck did your sister do?" He yelled.

Tig echoed Chib's concern from his seat at the end of the bar. "You better have a brilliant plan to fix this shit. We are up to our eyeballs in bitches getting arrested."

Juice paced nervously behind the bar. "What did you find out?"

She threw up her hands in a 'slow down' gesture. "I ran by the police station to get the scoop but I got cock blocked by some Fed, wouldn't let me inside. I tried to get in to talk to Unser, but the guy he had taken 'leave'?" The guys frowned in confusion. "Tried to talk to Hale next but got told he was busy. I think the Feds have taken over down there. But…I have a theory AND a plan." She bit her lip; she wasn't looking forward to explaining things. She took a deep breath, "You guys ever heard a song called _Down in Mississippi and Up to No Good_?"

The guys stared blankly at her. Jaci smiled nervously. "Didn't think so. Ok, if I'm right, the warrant is for a failure to appear for an assault charge with a possible drunk and disorderly charge tagged on."

"What?!" Juice exclaimed. "Assault? Shit!!"

Tig just shook his head. "And people say I have anger management issues. You bitches get in more fights…"

Jaci waved them both off. "This thing is old. Over a year ago, me and Vix and a few friends spent the weekend at a casino; lots of partying, lots of drinking. Vix got in an 'altercation' with a chick, cops were called, I don't really know the rest because I went back to the room. But she wasn't arrested so I thought end of story. She probably got a ticket or something and just forgot about it. I think I can get the warrant dropped though. That's why I called BB."

"How's he going to fix it??" Juice asked.

Jaci hesitated. She didn't want to talk about it in front of Tig, but didn't really have a choice. _Here goes nothing_. "Well, he's going to call my ex, whose father happens to be a judge."

She dropped her eyes after Tig's eyebrows shot up.

"Dean's dad is a judge?" Juice frowned. "But isn't his uncle the Bama VP?"

"So his dad's dirty too?" Chibs asked.

"Nooo, his dad is 1000% legit. They have an interesting family. His dad and uncle were raised under the same roof but turned out totally different; Baylor played with books, Trace played with guns. They don't talk anymore, Dean is the go-between. Baylor always liked me though; I'm counting on that affection extending to Vix."

"And what if your ex doesn't come through?" Tig asked with annoyance.

Jaci smiled smugly. "Oh, he'll come through. That wild weekend was celebration for me dumping his cheatin' ass. This favor will be a total guilt trip."

Chibs raised his beer in her direction. "So what about you? Any warrants we need to know about?"

She scoffed and smiled. "Come on Chibsy…I'm the _good _sister." She squeezed Juice's hand. "Don't worry about this. Vix might have to chill in jail for a couple of days but it'll be ok. I'm halfway at fault for this…I'll make it right."

"Well the sooner the better. Vix has been sick as shit all night long, fever and chills and throwing up." Juice added.

She frowned. "Why didn't she call me? She is 25 years old and you are what? 28? Ya'll need to start using the damn brains God was _generous_ enough to give you. You should have taken her to the damn doctor. What if she's got food poisoning?"

Tig and Chibs choked back smiles and resisted the urge to ask_ what if she's got a baby?!_

Jaci's phone began playing '_hey pretty baby are you ready for me, its your good rockin' daddy down from Tennesse', _the opening line from _Guitar Town_ by Steve Earle. "And there's BB."

She answered and the guys listened to her side of the conversation which seemed to go well, until the very end. "Yes…ok, no problem…yes, I went by the station. Mmm, Fed said the only thing I could do to help her would be to get a lawyer…me neither, don't know why she needs a lawyer for a failure to appear…really?...well, I don't think that is really necessary, but I guess…ok…ok, let me know."

Jaci ended the call. "Ok, Dean's going to work on the warrant. Just one little hiccup..." She grimaced at Juice. "Hope you're ready to meet the family, Lover boy, cause BB is flying out here. He's not happy about Vix being in the slammer…guess he wants to see how things are out here in Charming with his own eyes."

"Ooooh, BB is going to shit a chicken when he sees you, brotha!" Chibs said to Juice with a big laugh. Tig just shook his head but he silently hoped he didn't have to be around BB much, for fear the guy might be able to just _sense_ that he was fucking Jaci.

Jaci slapped the bar with both her hands. "Ok, boys, I'm out of here; gotta get the house in order before BB gets here whenever tomorrow." She smiled at Juice. "I'll call when I know all the flight details." She headed for the door. "See ya'll boys later."

After she left, Juice ran his hands over his head for seemed like the hundredth time that day. "How can she be so calm? Her sister is in JAIL! And now BB is coming in…shit!"

"Ever heard the expression 'grace under pressure'?" Chibs asked. "That's Jaci, man. Don't think she's one to panic until it's time to panic, ya know? She's smart, she'll have this all worked out. Sounds like her ex is coming to the rescue; all this'll blow over in a few days."

Tig snorted as he trashed his beer bottle. "Hell, she's probably glad Vix and Cherry got picked up. Now she can get some damn peace and quiet in her house." He was planning on taking full advantage of the newly created situation tonight if at all possible; thought he would call her, see if she needed any _consoling._ Try to get another roll in the hay before her uncle came crashing into town.

_**Stay tuned for the rest of HELL WEEK…**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Fire & Ice**

**Chapter 18- HELL WEEK ****(**_**our**_** version of Better Half)**

**By BG and Reaper**

**PART 2: ****NUCLEAR TUESDAY**

Juice sat in his grandma's kitchen. "Gram, you remember when Gramps used to get all philosophical and he would get that far-off looks in his eyes say _'Life doesn't always turn out the way you plan'_?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ruby smile and nod. "Well, I wish he'd have pointed out that he was talkin' about _**MY**_ life."

"And what is so wrong with _your_ life?"

He looked at her. "You're kidding, right?" Juice started ticking off on his fingers all the ways his life had gone awry. "And to top it all off in T-Minus…" he glanced at his watch in exasperation ... "however -the-fuck-long it takes to fly here from Ala-freakin'-bama, pretty much what amounts to Vix's _**DAD**_ will be here. Under the besta circumstances I'd be intimidated to meet this dude but given the complete clusterfuck that the last 12 hours has turned into, I'd rather, I dunno put my balls in a vice grip? Have a root canal without Novocain?"

"You need to relax Jean. You are not to blame for nor could you have prevented Victoria's current incarceration."

Seeing Juice about to protest, Henry Darling added, "Your Grandmother's right, you being here would have made things worse and I've no doubt that ATF agent would have arrested you as well. What help to Vix would you be sitting in the cell next to her?"

Juice looked at him questioningly. "Arrested me, for what?"

"I don't know…Obstruction of Justice? Harboring a Fugitive? Or just being a general _pain in the ass._ Take your pick."

Sadie glanced over at them. "Don't forget the Possession of Marijuana. Well, if we hadn't helped you out of that potential pickle."

Juice looked over at his grandma's friend and shook his head and despite himself yawned. "I need sleep… but I...I can't even go into that apartment… I'll be at the clubhouse if anyone needs me."

Ruby nodded. "Get some rest dear, perhaps things will be better in the morning light."

Juice smiled for the benefit of his grandma but didn't hold much hope for that and thought to himself _daylight just exposes what the night conceals._

Juice arrived back at the Clubhouse and most of the guys were still hanging out.

Clay smiled when he saw him walk in, "And our chauffer just arrived."

Juice shot him a questioning look. "Huh?"

Clay replied." BillyBob Parker is on US Airways flight 309 from Birmingham arrivin' at Oakland International in about 5 hours."

Juice groaned. "Come on Clay. Please don't cage me up with Vix's Uncle BB. Seriously my nerves... I mean if he doesn't kill me on sight, I'd probably wreck the car before I'd get us outta the airport parking garage."

Clay studied Juice. The kid probably did have a point and for once a _valid_ one. "Ok, I'll send The Prospect, I need you to get a hold of Happy anyway. With the ATF microscope pointed at us, we're gonna need him to come down and help get the Lucky Charms into Canada."

Juice heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm on it". He slumped onto a stool and rested his head on the bar.

Bobby eyed him. "Dude, what the fuck? We all know your girl's in jail and everybody is doing all they can to get her out. So you need to relax… have a toke or somethin', man."

Without lifting his head from the bar, Juice replied, "Love to…" He chuckled. "But can't."

Chibs wandered over. "And why not?"

Juice raised his head off the bar and said without an ounce of comedy in his voice, "Because ... my Gramma and her friends drank all my pot."

The laughing started with Piney, who was sitting on the one couch, and it spread. Everyone in the clubhouse was laughing their asses off.

Chibs wiped tears from his eyes, "THAT was what they were drinkin'? That is so fuckin' fantastic!"

Juice looked around and an upset look appeared on his face. Bobby put his arm around Juice's shoulder, "Come on, man ...that is AWESOME. How many people can say _my grandma drank all my pot_… I mean like EVER, in their lives?"

Jaci let Half Sack drive her Mustang to Oakland to snag BB from the airport, while she took Vix's Charger for the day. BB had been very adamant that his coming to Charming not be disruptive. His exact words were along the lines of 'don't make a big damn hoopla over me.'

Half Sack paced around the airport terminal waiting for BB to clear the gate. After a few minutes of waiting, he easily spotted the Bama President. He looked exactly as Jaci had described him: tall and lean, salt and pepper short hair, dark brown eyes, tattooed arms, wearing mostly black. He also was sporting the slightly pissed off look that Jaci mentioned would be the result of hours of smoking withdrawals. The Prospect was wearing his cut so that BB could find him. The two men spotted each other, shook hands and introduced themselves. After hearing the five second recap of how Kip got the nickname of 'Half Sack', BB responded with, "Well, that's damn tragic, boy" and an amused yet partially disgusted look on his face.

Half Sack took ten minutes to find the car in the lot so BB had plenty of time to start catching up on smoking. Finally they reached the car and BB frowned at seeing Jaci's Mustang, wondering why his doofus escort was driving it, but kept quiet. Half Sack explained the plan for the day; they would drop by the shop to meet with Clay and then BB could go to on to Jaci's place until she got off from work.

BB opened the passenger side door after throwing his bag in the trunk. "Well, let's get the show on the road then."

Half Sack spent the next twenty minutes driving around in circles trying to leave the airport. After BB pointed out that they had passed the same parked van three times, Half Sack wised up and finally took the correct turn to get them out of there. His driving on the open road wasn't much better. Not only had he went the wrong direction on the freeway, he was also being overly cautiously driving Jaci's car and BB kept pushing his foot down on his imaginary gas pedal on the passenger side floorboard to hurry the trip along but to no avail. Finally he couldn't take anymore.

"Son, you're gonna wanna pull this car over to the side of the damn road. I haven't set foot in California in about three years but I'm pretty damn sure I know the way to Charming better than you.

Half Sack glanced over at BB and saw instantly that the man was not kidding. He nodded and pulled to the shoulder. The guys switched seats. As BB plopped down into the driver's seat he fired up a fresh cigarette, revved the engine loud and cranked up the radio.

He looked over and smirked at the Prospect. "This is no time for _Driving Miss Daisy_; I'd like to get to Vix sometime BEFORE she is paroled for good behavior."

Half Sack, without thinking, blurted out, "I'm not sure good behavior would be in the cards for Vix."

BB actually laughed and nodded at that comment. He tore down the interstate to Charming with Half Sack holding the passenger side door arm rest in a death grip. BB apparently hailed from the '_drive it like you stole it_' school of thought.

They arrived at Teller Morrow in record time. The SAMCRO guys all greeted BB very warmly, hugs and handshakes all around. BB spotted Juice standing in the background, recognizing him from the description that Vix and Jaci had given him way back during their Easter visit. Jax smiled and stayed close to chaperone the official introduction just as Jaci had asked him to via a last minute phone call. Both Juice and BB played nice and mentioned they wished they were meeting under different circumstances. After BB downed a beer and did some quick chatting with the guys, all the members _and _Unser moved to the chapel to discuss the ATF problem at hand.

The meeting had been a long one and had covered a lot of ground. The current situations of Otto and Luann, Cherry, Tara and Vix had been discussed and plans had been made for Jax and Op, with some help from Unser, to talk with the jailed girls that night

Clay rolled his shoulders. "Ok, it's pretty obvious Stahl's going after our women. I think we've covered every possibility, but as Bobby so graciously put it we all have our _indirections, past and present_. So are there any other pieces of ass that are going to jump up and bite me in mine?"

Everyone remained quiet. Chibs, Bobby, Opie and Piney all shook their heads. Juice glanced to his right at Half Sack, who was already looking at him. The pair thought Tig had a little something to share with the group. Both suspected something was going on with him and Jaci; the question was who was going to bring up the subject? Juice nudged his head to the right silently saying, _you do it, _but the Prospect shook his head once sharply to the left answering, _are you crazy? YOU do it. _Juice sighed and turned his eyes on Tig.

Tig had been pushing his cigarette butt around in the ashtray before him, ignoring Clay's request for indiscretion confessions. He had kept his relationship with Jaci a secret from everyone for months, ATF included. They had been very careful; there was no reason to blow the whistle now. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, stay the course and all that shit. But when he looked up, he found Juice looking back at him. _Shit, that little bastard suspects us…well fuck you pal, I'm not saying shit._

A stare down of epic portions quickly began and the pair fought without words.

Tig frowned… _what?_

Juice lifted his eyebrows and smiled… _dude, come on, you know what. _

Tig grimaced and looked back down… _no._

Juice coughed into his hand and widened his eyes at Tig… _seriously, TELL them about her_.

Tig scratched his forehead with his middle finger… _fuck off, shut up_.

Juice raised his eyebrows again and cocked his head… _tell them or I will_.

The interaction between the techno quiz and the SAA was obvious. The other guys were now shooting questioning looks at each other trying to figure out what was going on with the pair. Unser looked around the table with unease. Finally Jax broke the silence.

"Alright…what's with the damn sign language you two?" Jax asked. He watched Tig slump his shoulders in a pout and scowl at Juice. _Busted_. "Goddamnit, Tig. I swear your dick gets this club in more trouble…"

"Who I fuck or don't fuck is none of your fucking business, Jax." Tig frowned.

Jax snorted. "Well, you have a way of making it our business. Do I need to remind you of anything?" He was alluding to the two dead Mexican chicks that had burned in the gun factory fire.

"This isn't like that." Tig replied with clenched teeth.

Clay rolled his eyes. "Suuuure. Who is it this time?"

Tig kept his eyes down and shook his head slightly. "I don't think it's that important."

"Trust me, guys… it's important." Juice interjected.

"Shut the fuck up. You don't know what you're talking about." Tig snapped back.

"Well?" Clay asked.

Tig ran his hand through his hair and blew out a breath. He fidgeted with the ashtray some more; anything to try to delay his confession. "Goddamn Juice." He muttered.

"Listen, we probably want to hear about this even LESS than you want to tell it, but I need to know if we have problems ahead…so spill it." Clay plastered a fake sweet smile on his face. "Pretty please."

Tig stared at the table for a moment trying to think how to word things. He was at a loss so he finally just said, "Alright…it's Jaci, man."

Most people froze in stunned amazement…trying first to make sure they heard him correctly and then moving on to try and picture the prim and proper Jaci with the complete psycho man-whore, Tig Trager.

It was BB's turn to frown. "Jaci…Parker? My Jaci??"

Tig glanced semi-apologetically at the 'Bama President. This was not the way he had planned on anyone finding out about them. "Yeah."

Jax slapped his hand down on the table and pointed at Tig. "What did I fucking tell you?? I said to _leave her alone_."

Tig quickly forgot his manners and fired back at Jax. _Demanding little shit.._ "Nooo… you _said_ for me to _keep my dick out of her_…which I did…for a little while." Tig smirked. "Besides, why are you giving me shit? No one said jack shit to Juice about nailing Vix!"

Juice and BB both let out a "Hey!"

"Juice doesn't have your track record!" Jax yelled. "You run through women like a fat kid runs through candy."

Tig stood up and yelled back. "Doesn't fucking matter. Jaci's a grown woman; she can make her own decisions. She doesn't need any help from you! Your track record sucks too." Jax stood up on his side of the table. Both were ready to throw punches. Chibs stood to hold Tig still. Bobby hung on to Jax with one hand while still seated.

Clay banged the gavel. "Alright, alright! Goddamnit! Everyone sit down and shut up!"

Both Jax and Tig slumped hard back into their seats, glaring at each other. The table regained its calm after a tense moment. "Let's get the whole story here." Clay looked at Tig. "I hate to even fucking ask this…but you and Jaci…what are we talking about here? Is this a one time thing or what?"

Tig lit a cigarette and stared at Jax as he answered. He hated being made to discuss her like this. "Been seeing her since February."

Clay's eyes widen in disbelief.

Chibs leaned over the table to look at Tig. "On and off or steady like?"

"Steady." He answered through clenched teeth, still staring at Jax.

"Well, shit. You did a good job of hiding it. I thought you hated her." Piney said.

"Oh, this explains A LOT." Bobby said with a laugh. Juice and Half Sack nodded in agreement. Unser was still looking at Tig…he couldn't figure out the attraction, the guy had a rap sheet for some serious shit. Jaci seemed so _nice_, why would she hook up with him?

"Would you stop looking at me like I just asked you the square-fucking-root of something?" Tig snarled at the Chief. Unser dropped his eyes.

BB stared hard at Tig and rattled off everything he knew about the guy in his head. _ Sergeant-At-Arms for the National Chapter of the SoA, sporting a USMC tat, seems to be generally pissed off at the world and is a known bad-ass motherfucker who'd like nothing better to do than to rip off your arm and shove it up your ass just for looking at him funny. Strike up the damn choir and let the white doves fly, he's just the perfect goddamn match for Jaci, NOT! _

He glanced over at Juice next… _and we have this one…goddamn head tats and a Mohawk…EXACTLY the type Vix would go for although that doesn't make that TYPE any better for her. _BB shook his head and said aloud, "God Almighty, these girls will send me to an early damn grave."

"I would have _never_ put those two together...unbelievable." Op said quietly to Chibs.

"HA! Tig makes them good girls go _bad_, brother." Chibs laughed loudly. "And let me tell you, those good girls are _nice,_ but when they go _bad_…it's fucking terrific!"

"Hey." BB said with a harsh look at Chibs. For all intents and purposes, Vix and Jaci were his daughters now. He didn't even want to _think_ of Jaci _going bad_ let alone hear some guy talk about how _fucking terrific _it would be when it happened; Chibs stifled his grin.

Clay hadn't said much because he was stunned… for two reasons: one that Tig had even started things up with Jaci in the first place and two that he hadn't said a word about it. Tig usually bragged far and wide about his conquests. These reasons led him to his next question. "So…this is serious?"

Tig stared at the table, slightly embarrassed, and shrugged. "Serious as I get."

With that confession, the jokes and smiles that were flying around the table stopped.

Bobby frowned after a moment of thought. "Uh, this could be a problem…a really big one."

"No shit." Jax mumbled.

"No, not because he pissed you off." Bobby waved his hand in explanation. "Feds have our chicks in custody because of various offenses. Gemma and Donna are clean so the most they could do was talk to them, try to rattle them. Jaci looks squeaky clean on paper…out of state, no record, college grad, legit business woman. They might not even talk to her. But Stahl could have the mother of all RICO packages if she went after Jaci. Girl's messing with Tig, her sister's dating Juice, she's working for our bean-counting firm with ownership ties to our defense attorney, got ties to two chapters of The Sons. I'm sure she is privy to some heavy shit from Alabama…" Bobby looked down the table at BB who nodded back. "Jaci's a wildcard time bomb."

"That's truer than you think." Unser grimaced and shifted in his chair. "I hate to add whipped cream to the top of the _shit sundae_ you guys have going here, but Stahl got her claws on the Justin Darby file this morning. Vix and Jaci both are probably going to be under a lot more scrutiny; just a matter of time."

"Darby? That shit's over ten years old. How did she…" Jax started to ask questions but Unser cut him off with a _who do think_ look. Jax rolled his eyes. "Hale."

Unser nodded. "Captain goddamn America, that's right; trying to score points with the Feds. He slapped the file in front of her like a damn _Golden Ticket_."

Clay rubbed his hands over his face. "Goddamnit. Ok, since RICO is all about _associations_…any potentially damaging ones are on ice until further notice." He pointed at Tig. "I don't want to see any damn public displays of affection, you two are not to be alone together. And no personal cells…use a prepaid."

Tig nodded in agreement. "No problem. Done." He wanted to get out of the room so he could get out from under the damn relationship microscope. All the guys were thinking it was something quick and cheap when it wasn't like that at all. He hated people thinking of _her_ that way. He wanted to get out of the room so could use his prepaid to call her and let her know their little secret was a bust.

Clay held the gavel over the table and said, "Anyone related to or sleeping with a Parker stays after class… everyone else- dismissed!" He banged the gavel once and officially adjourned the meeting.

A groan came from the cell next to hers and Cherry stood up from the cot and walked over to the front corner, "Vix how are you doin over there?'"

Vix tried to lift her head off the cot, which she immediately regretted as pain ratcheted through her skull. She coughed and that hurt even worse. Panic began to form in her gut, it had been over 24 hours since she came down with the sickness and she wasn't feeling any better - she was getting worse. "I think I am dying."

Cherry's voice caught in her throat. Vix did sound worse, her voice was weaker and more raspy and Cherry could almost hear what sounded like a wheezing. "Come on, baby girl. No thinking like that."

From the far cell Luann called out, asking Cherry what Vix had said. When Cherry replied, Luann let out with an obscenity-filled rant; its central theme being _that fucking ATF bitch _and how _someone needed to do something or_ _Vix's statement may not be that far from the truth._

Cherry walked over to the other front corner, the one closest to Luann's cell. "How can they keep ignoring that she is getting worse, anyone with a brain can tell..."

Luann cut her off, "DING DING DING DING DING... you got it right there darlin', none of these feds have _**a brain**_."

"Well then what about the local cops? They'd be the ones left cleanin' up the mess and dealin' with SAMCRO if she dies in here."

"Local PD ain't gonna make a move without fed say so."

From Vix's cell both Luann and Cherry heard her cry out in obvious pain followed by a sickening thud.

"Fuck!" Cherry said as she rushed to the other corner. "Vix! Vix! Come on baby girl answer me!"

When no reply was heard Cherry began banging on the bars of her cell and yelling at the top of her lungs and Luann followed suit.

The ruckus was heard by one of the local deputies, "What is going on in here?"

Cherry yelled back. "It's Vix.. help her!!!!"

The deputy peered into the cell on the far left and saw Vix crumpled in a heap in the middle of the cell. "What the hell?"

Luann pointed her finger at the deputy and she yelled. "SHE IS SICK- NOT DRUNK and HIGH like ATF ALMIGHTY seems to think. She needs a doctor NOW... and if you don't get her one, I will make sure EVERYONE in this town knows it, starting with Clay and the SONS."

"Jesus Christ." The deputy fumbled with the ring of keys as he called for assistance from whomever was out in the station. The holding area quickly filled with three other local deputies and a federal field agent.

"How long has she been like this?" The deputy asked.

Cherry answered. "She's been sick since yesterday; weak, loss of appetite, fever, throwin' up, chills. She is NOT drunk or high, she is really sick. She just collapsed maybe five minutes ago. Right before that she said she thought she was dying."

"She is feverish and unconscious. Scott, call for an ambulance."

The fed field agent shook his head in objection. "She is in federal custody; you have no authorization to transport her anywhere."

The deputy looked past the Fed to the other deputy. "Get that ambulance!" He focused back on the Fed and asked, "What's happened to you? Have you been kissing that female agent's ass so long, you're starting to like it? This girl needs medical treatment and I don't know about _**federal policy**_ but here in Charming, we are here to _**PROTECT and Serve**_...unless you want to bear the brunt of the Wrath of SAMCRO, for lettin' her die, you will step aside."

Scott, the deputy, came rushing back in, "Ambulance is en route, five minute E.T.A."

The Fed looked from one local deputy to another, "I've got to get in contact with Agent Stahl." He walked out of the holding area and grabbed the nearest phone.

The chapel room cleared except for Clay, Jax, Tig, Juice and BB. They all congregated near Clay's end of the table but remained standing.

Tig threw his lighter at Juice and glared at him, "Fucking NARC." He really couldn't blame the kid though, had the table's been turned he would have outted Juice too. _Bros before Ho's_ and all that; had to keep the club safe above all else.

"Sorry, man." Juice replied and tossed the lighter back to him.

"Alright, while Tig's little revelation needs to stay away from the eyes of the public and law enforcement, I understand it impacts your family and potentially your crew so you can handle this however you need." Clay explained to BB.

BB shook his head and lit a cigarette. "This is Jaci's dirty little secret to tell not mine. I'm not saying shit to anyone." He glared at Tig as he blew out smoke. "Matter of fact, I'm already trying to forget that I know about it."

Jax shook his head and spoke directly to BB. "Look, man, I'm sorry about all of this. I told him to leave her alone but as always he does what ever the fuck he wants. I didn't have a clue."

"No man should be judged for whatever direction his dick goes! That's like blaming a compass for pointing north, for Christsakes!" Tig said trying to defend himself. "Shit happens…Jaci and me…justsort of _happened_."

"We all know your _compass _is fucking broke though. It's always pointed to trouble." Clay interjected. "You had to know messing with her was a bad idea."

"Whatever." Tig rolled his eyes, he was getting mad. He stared at Jax. "Why the fuck are you apologizing for this? Like it's the end of the damn world that she's with me." Tig shook his head angrily.

BB listened to Jax and Tig argue back and forth. He found it ironic that Jax, who was divorcing Wendy, would be jumping a guy, very much like himself, for hooking up with her sister. But then again, anyone who had been around the three girls knew Jaci was very different; the quiet, calm, smart one with hellion bookend sisters. Jax obviously saw that Jaci and this Tig guy were complete fucking opposites. BB frowned, thinking it was a little late for Jaci to be going through some sort of bad boy phase. Tig seemed to be a dickhead and Jaci never had been one to put up with bullshit, so there had to be more to that guy that what was at the surface.

Juice had kept quiet during the conversation and was watching BB stare at Tig. Finally he spoke up and asked BB, "Well, what do you think about this?"

BB cocked his head and while still looking at Tig said, "Honestly, I'm surprised that a girl with an IQ over seventy can give him a hard on."

"Yeah, surprised me too." Tig replied with a smirk. He had caught BB's stare and knew the IQ comment was an insult to him and wanted to make a smartass reply but BB did outrank him and was Jaci's uncle so he had to respect all of that and watch his mouth. Jax could kiss his ass though. He started to head toward the door and pointed at BB. "You wanna talk about my intentions with her, come find me. I'm done discussing this shit with anybody else."

BB nodded coolly at him.

"Amen." Clay exclaimed. "Everyone get the fuck out of here."

Tig headed straight for the bar while the other guys rummaged around in the cigar box for their phones. He was in no mood to talk to Jaci anymore. He would just go on a full blown Jax-hate filled rant if he called her right now; better to wait until later.

Jax was the first to start checking his cell phone. He had missed a few calls from Tara. He listened to the first message and his eyes went wide. He announced loudly, "Shit, boys…our situation just went nuclear." When he had everyone's attention he continued, "Vix's been rushed to St. Thomas… headin' into surgery."

Juice dropped the pool stick he had just picked up. He shot a look to Clay who nodded at him and said, "Go. Jax, go with 'im." The pair, along with BB rushed out the door. Tig took a step away from the bar and toward the door; he wanted to go and be there for Jaci but Clay stopped him with a harsh look. "Not right now, loverboy. They've got enough drama. We'll go by in a bit."

BB's cell began ringing the second his foot hit the pavement. "we know. On our way there now." … he flipped the phone shut. …"someone named Tara called Jaci, she'll meet us at the hospital."

Juice and Jax nodded, fired up their bikes and peeled out of the driveway. BB slipped behind the wheel of Jaci's mustang and kept pace with the Harleys.

Tara knew that the chief resident's manner towards them was dismissive and she could really only guess as to why. But whether it was that he took fault with their appearance, he kept eyeing Juice, or that he was on the hate side of Charming's love/hate sand line when it came to SAMCRO and their associates or even if it was because Vix had arrived as a prisoner under the custody of The ATF, something had made him prejudice. Tara felt the need to try to re-explain what the doctor just rambled off in medical jargon to the bewildered group, leaving them confused and more than pissed off.

Jaci looked at Tara. "Ok, so they really started the appendectomy surgery knowing there was a 50/50 chance of it NOT being her appendix that ruptured?"

Juice shook his head and frowned. "Wh-why… why would they do that?"

Tara took a deep breath and tried to explain. "Look, a ruptured appendix and a ruptured fallopian tube from a tubal pregnancy present themselves very similarly. The appendix rupturing is the WORSE of the two and being that time was NOT on our side they chose to err on the side of caution and go for the more threatening of the two possibilities." … "IF they get in there and it wasn't her appendix – well, that is a GOOD thing and they would remove it anyway, since you don't need it, and then they would be left with the only possible other explanation and they would go in again and fix that. BUT if they waited for conformation or if they chose the other order and were WRONG and it was her appendix um, well, the act of surgery itself would cause more widespread damage from the ruptured appendix and it would also give more time for the infection to spread and more for more damage to be done."

"So there is a chance that Vix is pregnant?" Juice, looking visibly paler, questioned.

Tara glanced at him and nodded, "WAS… there _might have been_ BUT that is the LEAST likely of the two possible causes… AND IF it was a tubal pregnancy, it would have ended this way anyway, maybe not as dramatic but it would have required surgical correction and would not have … um, went to term."

BB raised his hand to interrupt the doctor. "If it was THAT and her tubes exploded ... can she still have kids someday?"

Tara looked from Jaci to BB, whom she didn't know but could see a definite resemblance, then to Jax and finally to Juice. "IF it was a ruptured fallopian tube, it would only have been on  
one side and so YES, she would still have one functioning side. Kids should not be a problem"

Overhead the PA system paged, "Dr. Knowels". Tara, slightly happy for the reprieve, sighed. "I am sorry I don't have more information, even in 2008, some medicine is a crap-shoot. Feel free to stay in here – it's a bit more private then the main waiting room. I need to answer that page, but I will check back in with you in a little while and let you know what is happening."

Jax nodded, "Thanks, Tara."

She nodded and excused herself from the small family waiting room. The door was no sooner closed, when Juice found himself the focus of everyone's attention and they all seemed to be in a dead heat for verbalizing the same thing.

Jax won and asked, "Isn't Vix on the pill or some shit? At the very least, aren't you wrappin' your tool, man?"

Juice nodded and stammered. "She's totally on the pill ...wh... when she remembers to take it… and we use other methods, too , sometimes." He ran his hands over his head and groaned. "Shit."

Jaci groaned. "WHEN SHE REMEMBERS?!?!? You are both aware that it is ONLY effective IF you take it REGULARLY!" She muttered. "Damnit, why does she have to be allergic to that implantable IUD?"

BB added his thoughts. "How could she _forget_? That girl has been on the pill so damn long... she used to take it and her Flintstone Vitamin at the same damn time."

Jaci glared at Juice. "The both of you are MORONS!! But I swear to god, if all this drama is because she was pregnant … I got gallon of bleach, a tarp and a hacksaw in the trunk of my car. One hour tops, you…" She motioned towards Juice. "you're off the face of the earth."

Jax held up his hand. "Jaci calm down, ok. Whatever the reason, the drama has started and we'll deal with it. Threatening dumb-ass here," he nods towards Juice, "is not gonna make Vix get better any faster."

"Jax is right." BB nodded and then added, "I need some damn nicotine before I ram an IV pole up somebody's ass."

"I'll go with you." Jax offered. He glanced at Juice, "Make yourself useful. Call Clay, give him the lowdown."

Juice nodded. He glanced nervously at Jaci, who was pacing the small room and seemed to be working things through in her head, then he pulled out his cell phone and dialed TM.

An hour and a half later, Chibs, Clay and Half Sack walked into St. Thomas and headed straight to the surgical floor, searching for the waiting room Juice had told them about. Half Sack spotted Jaci walking down the hall, looking more than a bit pissed off. He nudged Chibs, "There's Jaci. She doesn't look happy."

Chibs rolled his eyes. "Her sister's havin' emergency surgery... do you think she should be all smiles and sunshine, Prospect?" Chibs walked ahead and greeted Jaci. "Hey, Parker."

Jaci looked up at the sound of her name. And at the sight of the familiar, friendly face of the Scot, she had to will herself not to cry. "Chibs!!" She breathed and threw her arms around his neck. She would have loved to see Tig coming down the hall but any port in a storm so to speak.

Chibs was momentarily startled by the move but quickly recovered. "So how's Vix?"

Jaci pushed away with a firm glare on her face and unleashed. "Her surgery is dragging out way longer that it was supposed to but no one has come to tell us anything- Tara is in some pediatric emergency and every time I ask someone for an update – no one seems to know anything. I swear I am beginning to think that E.R. stands for EVERYONE'S RETARDED!!!"

She led them to the waiting room. Jax had just received a call from Bobby. He greeted his crew but then quickly excused himself to head out for the jailhouse meet. Everyone left took up their positions to wait out the surgery. BB paced around while talking to Clay, Jaci curled up in a chair, swinging one foot nervously and biting her lip. Half Sack hung next to Juice.

Chibs walked over to Jaci and punched her gently on the arm as he sat down in the chair next to her. He lowered his voice. "Quit biting your lip. Tig won't have anything left to kiss on."

Jaci groaned and glanced up shyly. "Yeah, I heard that wasn't a secret anymore."

"Nope, that cat is out of the proverbial fucking bag." Chibs smiled. "Might be tomorrow before he makes it here; him and Bobby have some stuff to take care of. I volunteered to be your stand in boyfriend for a few hours though. So if you get to feeling randy…" Chibs waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

A smile spread across Jaci's face and she was thankful for his company. "You're something else, you know that?"

"Totally."

Jaci sighed and turned in her chair to face him. "Well, if I can't bite my lip, I need a distraction or I will just start biting my nails." She thought for a moment and then said, "Let's play SLAPS." When the Scotsman just frowned with confusion, she held out both of her hands, palms facing upward. She told him to put his hands on top of hers and he complied with a smile.

"Oooh, holding hands…fringe benefits already."

She flipped one hand over and slapped his left hand.

"What? Shit, I was jokin'!" Chibs blurted in response to the slap. "Well, kinda."

She laughed. "No, that's how you play the game. Pay attention. You're supposed to try and move your hands out of the way." They proceeded to play a round after round of the game but finally quit when Chibs started hitting too hard out of frustration for losing so much. It was a nice distraction while it lasted though.

The surgery was only supposed to take an hour; but she had been in there for three and a half. The tension in the room was so thick you could practically gag on it. Chibs, Clay and Half-Sack have arrived less than an hour ago and already their antsy-ness had added to the tension soup. After awhile, every time Jaci heard footsteps in the hall, her ears perked up and she found herself holding her breath. Juice felt the same way and wanted a cigarette so bad but he was too anxious for word of Vix's condition to even leave the room for a second.

"I think the no smoking rule is cruel and unusual punishment or something," Juice stood up and peered out the window into the dark night sky. "Don't they know this is precisely when people are fucking desperate for a smoke?"

Jaci shrugged and nodded in agreement; she had lost count of the number of times her uncle had stepped out to light one up. It was likely the only thing that was keeping him sane at the moment – she could see the deep worry in his eyes. "Actually it could be good business for them, to allow smoking." Everyone stopped and looked at her. "Think about it, they could put a turnstile in the smoking lounge and do future-profit projections. It's completely a win-win."

BB smiled to himself, his little college girl, always thinking of business.

She paused for a moment, shook her head and then stood up. "Ok, I am going to go find out what is going on, even if I have to take someone hostage at gun point."

She didn't make it two steps when the original doctor, who had been coined _Dr. Dickhead_ by Jaci and Juice, entered the room. Tara entered right behind him. Everyone froze and waited for one of them to speak.

Tara noticed the other doctor still taking in the scene and broke the silence, "Vix is out of surgery. She will be in recovery for another hour or so."

"So she will be ok?" Juice asked.

"There were some complications, that is why the surgery took longer than first anticipated."

"Complications?" Jaci asked, willing her blood pressure not to rise.

Tara glanced at the other doctor, the one who _**should**_ be explaining the procedure; when he seemed content to let her do that talking, she sighed and continued. "Yes. It was her appendix and it did rupture. The time span between when it ruptured and when medical attention was administered, we are not sure, but the infected contents of her appendix had already started spreading through her abdominal cavity." She paused and looked around, everyone seemed to be understanding and hanging on her every word. "The issue now is a serious infection called peritonitis and shock. Vix is going to be put in the Intensive Care Unit and she'll receive continuous IV antibiotics and we will monitor her. We have to hope that the medication stops the infection before it has a chance to settle into any of her major organs."

When no one seemed to know what to say, Clay asked, "How long until we will know anything, Doc?"

"It's hard to say. And I am not going to sugarcoat anything; two decades ago, even in the '80's a ruptured appendix was usually fatal. New surgical procedures and more powerful antibiotics have lowered the death rate, but it all really hinges on how fast and how far the infection spreads and our ability to treat it. More operations may be necessary and the healing process may be a long one. Timely medical treatment did not happen here, but IF she hadn't gotten here when she did, I don't think she'd have made it this far. I'm very sorry… I wish I had better news."

Dr. Dickhead walked out of the room without waiting to see if the family had any questions. Tara seemed a bit stunned. She excused herself and entered the hallway, having to practically run to catch up with the doctor. When she does she laid into him, "What is your problem? You can't just deal people a blow like that and then rush off to the cozy confines of the Doctor's Lounge."

He stopped walking and looked at her incredulously, "If you are through Dr. Knowels, I have other patients to attend to."

"I just have one more thing to say, we are in the business of _**saving**_ lives, NOT _**judging**_ them."

Juice sank back into a chair with his head in his hands and muttered, "Fuck!"

BB pushed off the wall he had been leaning against, starting for the door and replied, "Yeah...I fuckin' second that… FUCK!"

Jaci just took a deep breath and shook her head. Chibs reached over and squeezed her shoulder. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes; but be damned if she is ready to cry in front of these guys. She stood up and used the excuse of needing to use the ladies room, beat a hasty retreat. Jaci make it to rest room before she broke down. She was a level headed statistical gal...she was really hoping for survival percentages, not _'its hard to say'_ and _'we'll wait and see.'_ .

Chibs, HS and Clay anxiously watched Juice. The kid looked on the verge of losing it. He stood up and paced around a bit. "This is completely fucked up, man. Vix could be dead right now... like right this minute."

"But she's not.... she's alive and you need to focus on _that._" Chibs said.

The three breathed a collective sigh of relief when he slumped back down in a chair, head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. Chibs glanced at Clay. They both startle a bit when Juice suddenly jumped to his feet and pulled out his cell phone.

Half Sack stood up and said, "Who are you callin'?"

Juice stammered, "I... I um, I need to talk to my Gram. I mean God is not exactly on my Friend's list…and Vix could use some serious help and well I could pray my balls off and not be of any help, b-but Gram… she has like a direct line to heaven or something. Her prayers, God would hear."

Clay and Chibs exchanged worried glances as Half Sack spoke up, "Juice, man it's like _quarter of midnight. _You really shouldn't ... I mean it's best not to wake up senior citizens with a bad news call in the middle of the night."

Juice looked up, "Huh?"

Chibs stood up, "Give me the phone, brother."

Juice glanced at Clay, who nodded, "Put your phone away, son. No sense in worrying anyone else tonight."

Juice closed his phone and slipped it in his pocket. He took a deep breath and ran his hands over his head. "I.. I need to do something."

Half-Sack looked at Juice. "Why don't we go try that whole prayer thing. Who knows, maybe God will make an exception and decide to listen this time. You do give up every Thursday night to the Church."

Juice looked at him, "I run the Church's gambling…not exactly a heavenly deed." He sighed and headed for the door of the waiting room, stopped and turned. "You'll come get us when you hear anything?"

Chibs nodded. "Aye."

Juice walked out of the room with Half-Sack closely following behind.

An hour passed and Chibs was returning from hittin' the head, when he saw Vix being wheeled up the hall. He walked into the waiting room and announced, "Our girl is outta recovery. I just saw 'em wheelin' her up the hall."

Juice and Jaci reached the door at the same time, closely followed by BB. Clay, Half-Sack and Chibs hung back a bit to give them a moment, but when it appeared as if the orderly and the federal agent were going to continue walking right past the family, they stepped into the hall and nonchalantly blocked the way. Effectively stopped by the wall of SAMCRO, the stretcher stopped.

At the up-close sight of her, Juice stopped dead in his tracks and his jaw dropped open. He had tried to mentally prepare himself but had vastly under-estimated how bad she would look. Her skin was whiter than the sheets of the gurney, except around her eyes which appeared sunken and rimmed in purple splotches. Despite his best attempt to suppress it, a whimper escaped his lips.

Jaci reached out to grab her sister's hand. She heard a metal _clinking_ sound and Vix's hand would not move. Jaci stared down and did a double-take. She looked over at her uncle, who was standing on the other side of the gurney.

A scowl formed on BB's face. His attention snapped to the federal agent. "What the fuck are those for?"

Clay took a step forward asking, "What is what for?"

"They've got her fuckin' cuffed to the bed frame."

The orderly eyed the group with unease, sensing things were about to get heated. "I... I need to get the patient hooked up to telemetry." When neither Chibs nor Half-Sack budged, he repeated, "I need to get through."

Clay shot a look at Chibs, who side-stepped. Half-Sack followed suit and the orderly pushed the stretcher down the hall towards the ICU. The agent tried to follow behind but Chibs and Half-Sack stepped back in to block the way.

Clay stared at the Fed. "We all know who ordered the bracelets. Call up your boss and tell her to get her ass down here. There needs to be a discussion about this shit."

"You need to take the cuffs off so they can treat her and stuff." Juice added.

"There will be no discussions and the cuffs are to remain on. Agent Stahl's orders, so that the prisoner doesn't escape."

"Escape? She is unconscious, just had major surgery and is in critical condition in the ICU. What do you think she's gonna do, waltz her way outta here?" Jaci retorted.

"Miss, you're going to need to calm down." The agent instructed.

"Calm down? Calm down is no longer in my damn vocabulary. You Feds want her to have a damn lawyer, FINE!! She'll be lawyer'd up by sunrise. Because THIS… this is … FUCKED UP!" Jaci slammed her way back into the waiting room before she lost all control and laid the agent out.

She was joined a few minutes later by the rest of them.

BB frowned at her, "Who are you callin', this hour?"

"I'm not callin' anyone. I sent a text to Rosen askin' him to call me as soon as he gets it. But speakin' of callin' people, you and me both know it is time to call Roxy. You want me to do it?"

BB exhaled in a huff, "No. I got it. I need another smoke anyway." He turned on his heel and left the room.

Clay looked at Jaci, "Rosen, huh?" He lifted an eyebrow. "Can you swing that?"

Jaci glanced up at him. "His retainer, I know it's steep… I'll figure somethin' out."

Clay's cell phone rang and he flipped it open, "Yeah."

"Where you at?" Jax asked.

"Still at St. Thomas, they just brought Vix up to ICU. Why? Did everything go smoothly?"

"That depends on your definition of smoothly."

Clay groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. "We'll be at the clubhouse in 30." He flipped the phone shut. "We're gonna roll. Keep us in the loop; let us know if you need anything. Someone will be by in the morning."

Jaci stood up and gave Clay a hug. "Thanks."

Clay didn't let it show if he was startled by the move. "You're family...no thanks needed. She's gonna get through all this."

Jaci nodded. Chibs was next in the hug parade. "Clay's right, Vix will be ok."

Half-Sack asked. "Um, you two want me to hang around or…?"

Jaci shook her head, "Nah, but thanks for being here."

He nodded and hugged her tight. "Vix is a fighter, it'll all be good."

The three of them said goodbye to Juice and then headed out, leaving him and Jaci alone in the waiting room. They both sat down and an uncomfortable silence descended.

"Sorry about that bleach and tarp thing earlier." Jaci offered.

Juice nodded. "It's ok."

The silence came back and was really nerve-wracking. Suddenly Juice blurted out, "Are people going to just say that constantly now? _Everything's going to be ok. _In movies, everybody's _always_ saying that. Hell, maybe WE should start saying it."

Jaci thought about it. "Well, in movies… I would be the _hysterical female_; you would be the _stoic male_, so it's probably YOUR line."

Juice grunted, "Oh."

"We'll just wait for morning; Ruby will blow sunshine up our asses. I might actually believe HER."

"Gram is IS good at that." Juice nodded with a slight chuckle. More silence and then, "So what now?"

Jaci yawned, leaned her head against his arm and said, "For now we wait...and you're my pillow."

Outside, BB Parker flicked his fourth consecutively chain-smoked cigarette to the pavement. With a sigh he pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

2,200 miles away in Alabama, a phone rang.

_**Stay tuned for the rest of HELL WEEK…**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Fire & Ice**

**Chapter 18- HELL WEEK ****(**_**our**_** version of Better Half)**

**By BG and Reaper**

**PART 3: ****WEDNESDAY Under Pressure**

Trace Cope had his muscular arms folded across his chest and his long legs propped up on the coffee table before him. He was nursing a beer in the 'Bama SOA clubhouse around 2am. The chapter Vice President couldn't help but laugh as Motor Johnson, the SAA, failed miserably at playing darts.

Motor shot Trace a harsh look and grumbled, "Why don't you just go on home?" He narrowed his eyes in concentration for his next shot…and missed again.

"Cause watchin' you hit the _wall_ instead of the damn dartboard is way more fun than taking the ass chewing I got waitin' for me at home. It's really kind of shockin' how bad you are. How in the hell you manage to hit a target with a damn gun is beyond me." Trace stood up and stretched his 6'6 frame. He pulled his dishwater blonde hair, which flowed midway down his back, into a ponytail, getting ready for the ride home. "I guess you're right though…I'm just postponing the goddamn inevitable. Guess I'll pack it in."

"Me too. I's just keepin' you company." Motor replied and threw his remaining two darts on a side table.

Trace smiled. "Aw come on now…you're not going to stay and practice? You might make the Olympics one day."

Motor flipped him the bird, a fitting silent reply.

As the guys walked to the bar to clean up for the night, Trace's cell phone rang. He told Motor that BB was calling. "What's up, brother?" Trace asked with concern in his voice, it was a little late for a friendly chat.

Trace and BB had been best friends since they were little kids, the two were pretty damn near inseparable. It was very fitting that the pair had been running the 'Bama chapter of the Sons together for years. They considered themselves brothers anyway but the bonds of the MC had solidified those feelings.

Motor watched with a frown as Trace listened and nodded to BB over the phone. Something was wrong, he could tell by Trace's silence. Usually that guy was talking a mile a minute, his nephew Dean, Jaci's ex, was the same way, regular chatterboxes.

"Don't worry about it, brother. We'll take care of it. I'll go right now. Give our love to the girls. Tell Jaci to keep her head up." Trace said as he ended the call. He blew out a deep breath and turned to relay Vix's critical situation to Motor.

"Girls can't catch a damn break." Motor said with a sigh as Trace finished his update on the medical and legal woes of the girls. The thought of his cousin being handcuffed to a hospital bed while fighting for her life made Motor want to hit something. HARD! The pair locked up the clubhouse for the night and walked to the parking lot to their bikes.

"BB wants one of us to go out to his place and be there with Roxy when he calls to tell her the bad news. You know Roxy is a going to pitch a fit." Trace said as he mounted his bike.

Motor nodded and fired up his bike.

"So, uh, I guess let me know how that goes." Trace said with a shrug.

Motor frowned. "Me? You go…you were heading home that way, anyway.

"Exactly…I got a hysterical woman waiting on me already. One's enough." Trace smiled. "Besides, Roxy's your cousin."

"We're all family, _brother_." Motor pointed out by tapping the leather cut he wore. "BB called _you._"

"Well, hell. Let's just throw down for it then, alright?" Trace offered. Motor nodded his acceptance. The guys proceeded to quickly throw down three rounds of _Rock, Paper, Scissors_. Trace won every round. "Damn, you suck at that as much as you do at darts!" He fired up his own bike and his tone changed quickly to somber. "If you need anything, you call. Get Roxy to her girls." After a quick fist pound, the pair went their separate ways.

Motor tore out of the parking lot and headed out of town to BB's house. There was never a question in his or Trace's mind who would escort Roxy to California. The mock arguing over the task had just been a way to temporarily diffuse the worried emotions both men felt. Roxy was Motor's cousin by blood, which made Vix and Jaci his family by marriage but he loved the girls fiercely.

The front porch light flipped on as Motor killed his engine in the driveway. He wondered for a second if BB had jumped the gun and called Roxy before he could get here. He walked up the steps of the huge front porch and Roxy opened the door with one hand, in the other was her Colt .45 the barrel reflected the moonlight nicely.

She frowned at him, switching the safety back on. "Motor, what are you doing out here in the middle of the damn night?"

He drew in a deep breath, realizing that she didn't have a clue what was going on out in Charming. Before he could open his mouth to fumble a response, his cell phone rang. He answered it and heard BB's voice asking if he was there yet; Motor grunted in the affirmative. BB had never doubted who would be coming to Charming either. Motor handed the phone to Roxy, told her it was BB and walked over to sit on the porch swing.

Roxy took the phone and tried to remain calm; she was being babysat while her husband called her at quarter 'til 3 in the morning…_**had to be bad news**_. She plastered a smile on her face and hoped it carried to her voice. Suddenly, she had no desire to hear the bad news coming from the other end of the line and after saying a quick hello, she tried to pump BB for information on Vix's new guy. She hit him with a barrage of questions but he answered only with a summary statement.

"Rox, you know with Vix every decision is a crap shoot." BB answered.

Roxy groaned. "He's that bad, huh?"

"Well, the most constructive thing I can say about him right now is all his tattoos are spelled correctly."

"Oh. Well, does he seem to care about her? You know, feels the same about her as she does about him?"

BB thought about how defensive of Vix Juice was when discussing her arrest and how completely upset and worried he seemed to be about her current medical drama. "Yeah, I think he genuinely cares about her but I haven't had time to really talk to the guy, babe."

Roxy started to ask something else but he cut her off. He knew what she was doing. She knew no call from him at this hour could be good and he was actually surprised she hadn't taken the bull by the horns and demanded to know what was wrong from the get go.

"I didn't call to discuss Vix's love life, Rox. I...I um." He let out a sigh and ran his hand thru his short grey hair and then down his face. He was trying damn hard not to break down cause Roxy would freak out all the more but the news rushed out of him before he could censor it. "Vix's damn appendix burst while she was in the feds custody. She was sick as shit and they didn't do a motherfucking thing until it was too late." It was his turn to ramble. "We need you here...I just need you here babe. Vix and Jaci need you here. You need to get here, right now…yesterday even. I already called the club house, that's why Motor is there; he'll be comin' with you. Just make sure you are on the next flight, baby."

Motor watched as the dire news hit Roxy. She leaned against the house, covering her mouth with her free hand as she listened and then she wiped tears away as she spoke. "Ok, baby, ok. I'll be there. You just take care of our girls till I can get there, ok?" She took a deep breath. "I know you ain't one for praying, Billy Bob Parker, but you better start! You hear me? I mean it!" She nodded a few times, telling him she loved him and to kiss the girls as she ended the call. She walked over to Motor and latched onto him. He smothered her in a tight hug.

She pushed away from him after a few moments and inhaled deeply. Her resolve was set…time to get to her babies. She looked up at Motor. "Well, I guess you're my traveling companion. Go home, pack some shit and get your ass back here ASAP. I'm getting the earliest flight out of here."

Motor raised his eyebrows in alarm. "Flight??"

"Yeah…flight. You know…airplane ride? You didn't think I was going to let you drive me thirty something damn hours to California, did you? I gotta get to my girls NOW!"

"Give me an hour." He replied and headed toward his bike as Roxy went back inside the house. As he fired up his bike he tried to start thinking of ways to fight his anxiety. There were few things in this world that Motor Johnson was afraid of... God was one of them…airplanes were another.

The hope that the ruptured appendix wouldn't lead to infection and organ deterioration was short lived. Somewhere around sunrise one of the ICU interns came into the waiting room – he addressed BB, Jaci and Juice and after explaining that the infection had taken hold and that they were administering broad-spectrum antibiotics to try to minimize the effects and morphine for pain, he had a nurse take them back to see her. The nurse informed them that normally the ICU limits visitors to 2 at a time in 15 minute intervals, but she'd make an exception.

None of them were prepared, really, to see Vix in her present state. She had enough wire and tubes running out of her; she looked like she was gearing up to take off to the moon. There was a tower of monitors and machines beside her, all of them flashing various numbers and gridlines that were tracking the infectious holy hell that was raging inside of her. She looked so small lying in the bed with a plastic oxygen mask strapped to her face, motionless but not at all peaceful.

Juice shakes his head and muttered, "Oh man." He leaned up against the wall with eyes closed trying to get a grip.

Jaci squeezed Juice's shoulder and glanced at BB sadly. "Here we go again?" BB nodded, both of them thinking back to several years ago when they had almost lost Vix to a car wreck.

It was just past noon when Tig and Bobby backed their bikes into parking slots at St. Thomas Hospital. As they were walking across the parking lot, Bobby asked out of the blue, "So are you going to punch me if I hug her?'"

Distracted, Tig frowned and asked, "What?"

"Jaci. I mean since it turns out she's your girlfriend or whatever."

"Don't say girlfriend." Tig snapped back automatically. He thought about the question and realized he actually he needed Bobby to hug her, cause then he could do it too.

"So can I still have dinner at her house? We do that a lot, you know. I don't want you getting pissed." Bobby asked as they reached the doors to the hospital.

"Have I been pissed up till now?" Tig stopped and smirked at his friend. "You're shopping with her, Half Sack boxes with her…as long as you're not fucking her, I really don't care what you do with her, Bobby. Keeps me from having to do shit I don't want to. Not gonna see my ass running around IKEA."

The main ICU waiting room was nearly empty. Apparently is was a slow day for critical patients in Charming. Two ATF agents stared at the Sons has they walked past and made notes on their clipboards. Bobby rolled his eyes and asked them in passing, "You guys need height and weight measurements for your little notebooks?"

Tig laughed and cupped his crotch. "Might take both of you to measure this."

The guys continued walking and laughing until they spotted Jaci. She was seated in a chair with her legs stretched out onto the chair across from her. Her arms were crossed over her chest. She was wearing jeans and a zip up hoodie and currently had the hood pulled up over her head.

"Awww, she's sleeping. I don't think we should wake her up." Bobby whispered.

Tig frowned and walked closer to her. He smiled slightly and pointed at her. "She's not asleep. Look, she's tapping her fingers." He spotted the white wires of her earbud headphones. "Fucking iPod." Tig muttered. He kicked at her feet gently and she jerked her head up and her eyes shot open. A huge smile spread across her face when she saw the pair of men standing in front of her.

Jaci pulled the buds from her ears and slipped her iPod in her pocket as she stood up to greet the guys. "Hey guys."

"You going gangsta on us now?" Tig asked as he nodded toward her hood. She lowered it from her head and they shared a smile.

"They keep this place like a damn meat locker. I've been freezing my ass off all day."

"What's up with the hall monitors?" Bobby asked as he nodded back toward the agents.

"They set up camp this morning, compliments of Stahl; keeping track of anyone that comes through. Did you guys give 'em shit?"

"Of course." Bobby answered as wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her from the side; kind of hard to hug from the front with that big Buddha belly of his.

A hug from Bobby was nice and comforting but she wanted Tig. She wasn't sure of the public protocol though so she just stood still and glanced at him. He nodded his head ever so slightly to let her know it was ok and they wrapped their arms around each other. Jaci closed her eyes and breathed deep as she squeezed him fiercely. To the agents watching them, it looked like a normal hug between friends, they couldn't see Jaci's hand slide down his chest or the look that she gave him as she pulled away from him. "You look pretty good." He whispered as she sat back down.

She frowned slightly. "You sound surprised. What did you expect?"

"A crumbled crying mess." Tig blurted back an honest response.

"Tig!" Bobby reprimanded. Tig shrugged like _What did I say?_

Jaci actually laughed. "Sorry, I don't _do_ crumbled crying mess. Last night was rough but things are looking up today. They've got her on high powered antibiotics and pain meds. So there is an action plan." She patted the laptop that sat next to her. "Juice and I have been researching Vix's condition online, so we have a better idea of what we are dealing with."

Bobby glanced at Tig and then to the seat next to Jaci. He whispered, "Uh, you wanna sit by her or should I…"

"Jesus, just sit down already." Tig hissed as he took the seat across from her. He rolled his eyes as a small smile eased across Jaci's face. She seemed to be amused by the silly awkwardness of the whole situation. "So she's better?"

"Ehh, she's tried to wake up a few times today. Opened her eyes long enough to call me a motherfucker. I think that's a good sign coming from Vix."

Bobby laughed and nodded in agreement. "Did you get lawyered up?" Jaci nodded. "Rosen?"

"He wants some distance but he gave me one of his associates."

Tig interjected. "He any good?"

She shrugged and corrected him. "SHE is supposed to just as good, only in a skirt and heels. Jason says he has better hair than her though."

Tig rolled his eyes at her using Rosen's first name and the cute remark. _Asshole. _But he couldn't be too pissed at the guy, at least he was helping.

Jaci made sure her voice was low. "Juice said Stahl was sniffing around the Justin Darby thing too. But it doesn't matter, anything she throws at us, we've got a buffer now if we need it."

"So where is everybody?" Bobby asked as he looked around the deserted room. Jaci had just told him Juice and Ruby were in with Vix when as if on cue, Juice came walking quickly into the waiting room. The guys stood up and greeted their brother warmly.

Jaci watched him carefully. "What's wrong?" She asked.

He ran his hand over his head and grimaced. "The doctor wants to talk to your uncle. She's hallucinating again; they want to up the morphine."

Bobby smiled. "Awe man that is some good shit! Who ever said laughter is the best medicine has never had morphine." Tig nodded with enthusiastic agreement.

"BB's on his way back from the airport with Roxy and Motor." Jaci stood up. "Maybe it's the morphine causing the hallucinations. They tried to give that to her after her car accident and she kept seeing munchkins."

Bobby's stomach growled involuntarily. "Man, I love munchkins - powdered, glazed… chocolate glazed are the best"

Jaci shook her head and clarified. "Not the donut holes; Vix was seein' the little people from _The_ _Wizard of Oz_." She started walking toward the ICU door.

"Yeah, well now she's having an argument with your guys' mom about her not being at field day." Juice called after her with a heavy sigh.

Jaci sucked her breath in sharply and stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to look at Juice. "Our Mama died when Vix was seven."

Juice nodded. "I know. This is worse than two hours ago when she freaked out about there being snakes on her bed."

"I'll go talk to them. Stay here, talk with the guys."

Juice glanced at the guys but followed Jaci. He caught up to her. "I can't leave her like this Jaci ... she's freaked out and scared."

Jaci smiled and put her hands on his shoulders. "Sweetie, you can't fight what is in her head. Right now the best way to help her is to let her rest." She turned him around to face the guys again and shoved him lightly in their direction. "Go, talk…I'll fix this."

Juice shuffled back to the guys who did their best to take his mind off the situation by filling him in on the bar fight they staged from the night before. Bobby's imitation of Tig takin' hits off Piney's O2 tank actually brought a smile to Juice's face. Ten minutes later, Jaci returned to the waiting room with Ruby in tow. Jaci explained that after a lengthy discussion with the doctors, Vix was now receiving Ativan instead of Morphine and they were letting her rest ALONE; hopefully that combination would help the hallucinations to subside. Ruby said her goodbyes to the group and left to find Henry Darling who was visiting a friend in the hospital with pneumonia. She needed a ride to church; it was time to pray her little Catholic heart out.

Tig raised his eyebrows as glanced at Jaci as they all sat back down. "You sound like a doctor."

She shrugged. "Well after all of the info Juice and I have read in the last 24 hours, I could probably play one on TV."

"Now, now…your ass spent the night in a hospital waiting room, NOT at a _Holiday Inn Expres_s." Bobby's joke got a laugh from everyone, even Juice. They sat and talked about random things for a few minutes more until Jaci's cell phone beeped. She had a text message and slid her phone open to reveal its keyboard and began typing back a response. Everyone turn their attention to her since there was nothing else to do.

Jaci felt eyes on her and looked up into three staring faces. She ducked her head and started to type again. "It's Dean…wanting a Vix update." She sent her reply and a moment later her cell beeped again and again she typed a reply. Tig watched with mild annoyance but he figured communicating with _Mr. Infinity_ was a necessary evil right now, besides at least they were only texting, no long heartfelt phone conversations were happening. A few minutes later Jaci's cell actually rang and Tig frowned. _Asshole_. But after a moment it was clear that it was her uncle on the phone and not her ex.

She hung up her cell. "BB's in the parking lot. They'll be up any minute." She made a point to make eye contact with all of the guys but especially Tig. "Ok, just a warning, when I see Motor, I am going to bear hug that boy. I don't want anyone freaking out or getting jealous. And Juice, a warning about Roxy, she's a hugger and trying to get away with just a simple handshake would insult her."

Juice nodded his understanding. He was nervous about meeting Roxy- Vix's stand in mom. So far the meeting with BB had been less than perfect. "What about Motor?"

Jaci laughed. "Oh, I don't think you should try to hug Motor; he might rip your arms off! Let him lead that little moment." She stood up and began to walk around the waiting room. Juice soon followed suit. She was so ready to see her family, having them here would be a big step in the right direction.

The crew soon heard voices down the hall and Jaci and Juice stepped into the main hall in time to see BB and Motor both giving the ATF agents a disgusted stare down. The woman keeping pace with the two men beamed when she saw Jaci. Tig watched as a smile spread across Jaci's face in return. She walked quickly and wrapped her 'mom' in a hug.

"Baby!" Roxy breathed.

"BB's Ol' Lady is hott, man." Bobby whispered to Tig, who nodded in agreement.

Roxy was a beautiful lady, about the same height as Jaci with long, sandy-brown hair. She was slim and wearing trendy clothes like Gemma might wear. Good thing Half Sack wasn't around, he might have made another _MILF_ comment.

They watched as Jaci let go of Roxy, both ladies were wiping tears away but laughing slightly too.

Roxy noticed Juice standing there and smiled. He was _exactly _how the girls had described him. "And you must be Juice." He had no sooner nodded his reply than she had him wrapped in a hug. She pulled away, once again dabbing her eyes, "You make Vix very happy." Juice managed a nod and then looked away down the long hall that leads to the ICU.

Jaci turned her eyes on Motor and the serious look melted from his face, he raised his eyebrows and opened his arms. A huge smile blossomed on her face and she grabbed him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezed, and lifted her off the floor for a moment.

She whispered to him, "How was the flight?"

Motor shook his head and set her back down on her feet and whispered, "Nothing a shit load of Jack Daniels couldn't fix. The flight attendant took a shine to me; gave me a few free ones."

"Did you get her number?" Jaci teased and punched at his arm.

"Uh no…" His looked turned serious again. "It was a dude."

Roxy and Jaci both busted out laughing but one stern look from Motor shut them up.

Jaci quickly introduced Roxy to Tig and Bobby but she was only paying half attention. Her eyes were on the ICU door. "Excuse me fellas, I don't wanna seem rude but I need to go see my baby girl first. I'll shoot the shit with ya'll in a little bit." BB wrapped his arm around his wife and took her to see Vix, leaving Motor behind. Jaci moved on to her next introduction.

"Guys, this is my cousin Motor. Motor, this is Juice, Bobby and Tig." Jaci pointed out the guys as she named them off. Motor clasped hands with Juice and gave him a half hug, which was a huge gesture coming from Motor. Juice looked a little nervous but managed to mumble, "Nice to meet you." Next he gave a handshake and friendly nod to Bobby. When it came to Tig, the friendly look left Motor's face and his eyes turned a little colder.

Tig noticed the change and smirked. BB must have shared the good news about him and Jaci to the resident 'Bama psychopath. He extended his hand and Motor gripped it, _hard_. They shook hands, both trying to exert a death grip on the other. A smile played at Motor's lips while Tig's smirk stayed intact as they pulled their clasped hands back and forth. Bobby and Juice glanced at Jaci and she rolled her eyes. She knew neither man would back down so she took a step and put her hands on top of theirs, whispering, "Ooook. The pissing contest can stop now, boys. Play nice." The guys ended the hand 'shake' but continued to size each other up. Motor was honestly surprised by the "look" of Tig; not at all what he pictured as a companion for Jaci.

The guys and Jaci all sat back down in the waiting room. It was awkward for a moment but then Bobby started asking Motor questions about his bike and what the other 'Bama guys rode and the ice was officially broken. Everyone was happy to talk about something other than jail time and sickness for a change, even Juice engaged in the conversation, although he kept staring at the ICU door longingly.

A few minutes later Jaci's phone started beeping again…more texts from Dean. Jaci's thumbs flew about her phone's keyboard sending responses. Motor looked a little amazed at her ability to text so quickly. His amusement faded when she told him she was talking with Dean. Tig noticed the change in Motor; her cousin obviously didn't like _Mr. Infinity_ either.

Tig stared at Jaci texting and fell out of the conversations going on around him. Finally he couldn't stand it anymore when she smiled _yet again _at the conversation taking place via keyboard and blurted out, "Does he have anything better to do than text you all day long? Like work maybe?"

Jaci cocked an eyebrow at Tig, chiding him for his obvious jealousy. Before she could say anything, Motor surprisingly piped up with a snort. "He works…if you can call running a nightclub working."

"Some people work with their minds instead of their hands." Jaci reminded her cousin.

"Dipshit ain't working anything but his dick." Motor retorted which got a smile from Tig.

"Hell that's what I would be doing if I ran a nightclub." Bobby commented.

Jaci noticed the smile from Tig and decided to force a bonding moment. "Aww, that's cute. You both have little nicknames for my ex." She glanced between the guys. "Tig likes to call him Mr. Infinity because of our tattoos. Motor is less formal and prefers Dipshit."

Tig shrugged. "I just don't understand why he needs to text you thirty times. How is Vix…she's stable…end of conversation, 2 texts tops."

"Trying to weasel back in." Motor muttered and crossed his arms over his chest. Talking about Dean always got him mad.

Tig noticed Motor's annoyance at the mention of Dean. He decided to see what he could find out since Jaci had declared Dean an off limits subject since coming back from 'Bama at Easter. "You two ever get into it about her?" He cocked his head toward Jaci.

"We've had words but I can't lay hands on him." Motor shook his head in disappointment and then explained. "Dean's uncle is my VP so between that and the fact that J made me swear on my mama's grave that I wouldn't hurt him…I can't touch the little fucker."

Tig sneered and offered assistance. "Haul his ass to Cali…I'll touch him. I don't have any restrictions." Motor nodded and with that moment a bit of the automatic dislike he felt for Tig faded. Any man that was willing to beat Dean's ass just on principle, having never had the displeasure of actually meeting the prick, couldn't be all bad in Motor's book.

"Ok, guys…I'm sitting _right here _so stop talking about me and stop beating a dead horse. Dean is a non-issue." Jaci warned playfully.

"Yes, mother." Motor replied quietly and sarcastically drawing a laugh from all of the guys.

Jaci rolled her eyes but laughed too. It was so good to have him around.

BB and Roxy returned to the waiting room and sat down with the rest of the crew. Small talk was made and Tig and Bobby were actually getting ready to leave when Juice randomly said, "Fucking bitch. Stahl's coming."

Everyone jerked their head to the hallway where his eyes were glued. Walking toward them was Agent Stahl and one of her minions. The motley crew stood up and glared in unison at her. Quickly eyes started to dart to other faces in the crew. Everyone was trying to figure out who was going to be the first to unload on Stahl.

Jaci took a deep breath, "Let me handle this." She stared down the other guys. "Please."

The guys all shared a look, seemingly taking a silent vote amongst themselves and BB finally nodded his permission to her. Jaci walked a few steps away to meet Stahl head on.

Stahl flashed a big fake smile and extended her hand to Jaci. "Jaci Parker, it is so nice to meet you finally. I'm Agent Stahl."

Jaci ignored the outstretched hand. "I know who you are. What do you want?"

"I heard you didn't like your sister being cuffed? Just wanted to tell you personally that unless that warrant of her's magically disappears… those cuffs are staying on."

Jaci had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. That beloved warrant would soon be toast and Stahl would be eating those words.

Stahl continued. "I heard you're getting a lawyer. That's a good idea because you and I need to have a little chat...about Justin Darby. I was going to ask your sister but seeing that she is comatose, I guess you'll have to suffice. So you're place or mine?"

"Doesn't matter...I've got nothing to say either way." Jaci replied coolly with a shrug.

"Well, we'll see about that. I've got a few things to show you, might change your mind. It's amazing what can come crawling out of the woodwork after all these years. There is no _statute of limitations_ on _**Murder**_, but I bet you knew that. Smart girl, college graduate, savvy business woman, I am guessing you got the lion's share of the brains in the family." Stahl grinned and hoped that Jaci bought her bluff. She hadn't been able to find shit on the Justin Darby case, there was a reason the girls had never been charged with anything…there wasn't any hard evidence to be had. No body, no witnesses.

Jaci rolled her eyes but resided herself to just letting Stahl blow all the smoke she wanted.

Motor watched his cousin closely. He noticed the way her jaw was clenched, her eyes were steeled, and she held a cocky posture. He stood between Bobby and Tig and mused, "J's got her hackles up... doesn't happen very often ... never a good sign."

Tig nodded and whispered, "'Last time she looked like that she beat the fuck out of a chick and I had to spend the night in jail with her." Motor glanced at him as if to say _no shit_. Tig nodded once.

Stahl let out an exaggerated sigh. "Too bad your sister wasn't as fortunate as you. Poor little Vix is gonna wake up to the world gone topsy-turvy. Handcuffs, murder charges and looks like she's going to be down a BFF when she wakes up."

Jaci frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"While your sister went for a dramatic exit... Ms., well I guess you'd know her as Cherry; her real name is Rita, by the way. Rita decided to channel Houdini and pull a vanishing act."

Jaci couldn't even hide her obvious confusion. _Cherry busted out of jail?? What the fuck? _ She took a second and then asked, "Where did she go?"

Stahl cocked her head. "Thought you might be able to tell me that."

Jaci scoffed, "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well…" Stahl clapped her hands together. "looks like Vix's little fan club is getting restless and I have to go anyway. So you think long and hard about all of this and when you're ready to talk… you come see me. Maybe we can deal." Stahl was sure to raise her voice so that the Sons heard the deal offer.

Jaci shook her head and felt her fists clench automatically. "Lady, and I use that term very loosely, I wouldn't make a deal with you if you were Monty-Fuckin'-Hall."

"That's cute." Stahl winked at her. "You keep up the hardass act for a bit. We'll see how tough you are when your sister's looking at life in prison." Stahl waved to the crew that was now starting to edge closer and then she turned on her heel and walked back down the hall.

Roxy stared after the agent. "Oh my god, that woman... I mean what would possess a person to be like that to a perfect stranger?"

Bobby shrugged and offered up a suggestion, "Maybe she was abused as a child?"

Jaci glared in the direction of the empty hallway. "God, I fuckin' hope so."

A muttering of cursing could be heard from the gathered crew. Jaci's attention snapped to Tig and her eyes widened. She edged closer to him and whispered, "Cherry?? What the fuck?"

Tig looked at Bobby who shrugged. Tig whispered back cryptically, "Couldn't stand the heat, had to be removed from the kitchen."

Jaci's eyes bugged thinking the Sons had somehow killed her friend. "Removed??? Did you…?" Tig shook his head and frowned to let her know that Cherry was still alive and kickin'. Jaci nodded her understanding and went to sit back down. Tig shot out a hand to stop her and in the same motion, slipped a pre-paid cell phone into the front pocket of her hoodie.

She glanced at him questioningly. He whispered, "It's a pre-paid. Untraceable. Bobby and I are heading out but you can call me later. If you can drag yourself away from texting _Dipshit_." As if on cue Jaci's cell phone chimed with a text message, Tig rolled his eyes, "Speaking of the asshole."

Jaic pulled out her phone and quickly read the text. A huge sigh of relief escaped her lips. "The warrant is no more… thank you, Baylor Cope."

BB nodded in exasperation, "Five minutes too late to shove it down the throat of that cocky ATF bitch."

"She'll choke on it soon enough. Dean said the court clerk faxed the nullification order to Charming PD." Jaci smiled.

"Well, let's go tell Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb to take the fuckin' cuffs off." Tig nodded towards the feds camped out in the hall.

Later that night…

Jaci stood waiting for the elevator doors to open. It had been a hellish day. Stahl's appearance was just the first shock. Later came a deterioration of Vix's condition, some tough medical decisions, and a near fist fight between BB and Juice.

Roxy had threatened Jaci with physical violence if she didn't leave the hospital and go home to get some sleep. She should be dragging Juice home with her; that boy was way worse off than her, but he was NOT moving from Vix's side; physical violence wouldn't even make him blink. The doors slid open and she stepped inside, hitting the button for the ground floor without even having to look, practice did make perfect. She walked to the back of the elevator slowly and turned around to lean against it for the ride down. She wasn't alone in the elevator as the doors slid shut. Ernest Darby stood in directly front of her. Her eyes opened wide in surprise and she choked back a startled scream.

"Going down, Miss Parker?" Darby unleashed his trademark sleazy smile. "Here you are again. Is it your family's personal mission to fund St. Thomas hospital?"

Jaci forced herself to stay calm and swallowed hard. "Damn, you're pretty sneaky, Darby. They teach you stealth skills in skinhead school?" She knew a face to face with Darby was bound to happen but had stopped worrying about it since she and Vix had made it so many months back in Charming without a run in with him. "What do you want?"

The elevator was making its descent but Darby slapped the emergency stop button between floors. Jaci's heart dropped knowing that she was trapped alone until he decided to let her leave. Darby's voice was full of fake friendliness. "Just thought we could have a friendly little chat. Been meanin' to look you up since you got back in town. You know, maybe my memory is getting rusty in my old age, but I could have SWORN that you girls weren't supposed to set foot in this town again."

She shrugged. "Extenuating circumstances, Darby."

He smiled and nodded. "True, true. That junkie sister of yours sort of forced your hand on that one maybe. You came back to take care of family, see little Jax Jr. I'll give you that one. But you damn sure had control over STAYING in town, buying a goddamn house and settling in with SAMCRO, didn't you?" Darby stepped closer to Jaci. "So I got to thinking…if you girls could renege on our little agreement from all those years ago, maybe I could too."

"The agreement was that we would leave town and you would stop painting us as murderers."

Darby shook his head and rubbed his stubbly chin. "Mmm…the way I remember it, you left town so I didn't take an eye for an eye. And seeing you girls around here again has me really…_missing_ that poor nephew of mine." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Grief is just _building_ up inside of me again all of a sudden. It's weird, really. But I'm older and wiser now, so I've changed my mind about a few things."

"Oh really?"

Darby nodded, "Yeah, you girls are piss ants really. I mean, I hate you and all… but I want the whole damn club brought down more…so you're going to help me."

"How do you figure that?" Jaci crossed her arms, trying to appear relaxed. She really wanted to punch him in the face and run but there was no place to go.

"From what I hear, SAMCRO has ATF just crawling all over them, just looking for one tiny little thing to grab onto. So you're going to give it to them. You're going to come clean about killing my nephew. I don't care which one of you bitches really did it, figure you were probably both there so one's just as guilty as the other. But you're going to sing like a little bird."

Jaci shook her head and lied for the second time today about Justin. "How do you know he's dead? You find a body the cops don't know about?"

"You and I both know Justin's dead. Drop the bullshit act."

"I've got nothing to sing about…sorry."

"Oh maybe not right this minute, but you will." Darby stepped even closer to her and cocked his head and a fake voice of concern sounded from him. "You ever get nervous, Jaci? I mean one sister in Intensive Care, another in rehab, and then there is that fragile little nephew of yours. All your near and dear in and outta the hospital. I mean people DIE in hospitals all the time when they are supposed to getting better. Just freak occurrences. You must worry about that sort of thing a lot."

She gritted her teeth and moved her hands to clench the rail behind her. "Never really crossed my mind, Darby." Her heart pounded in her chest with anger and fear but she tried to appear calm.

"Well, it better start. You better give up the ghost pretty quick or you're going to see just how dangerous this place can be." Darby wanted to grab her and shake her but he knew better and kept his hands off of her…for now.

Jaci frowned at his threat. "Are you stupid? You want to start a war with SAMCRO? You touch any of my family and that's what you're going to get."

"War's been brewing for years honey, just a matter of time anyway." Darby extended his long arms for a second in a sort of _bring it _gesture and then dropped them. He cocked his head again. "But you really think Clay will risk his little empire for YOU? Right now with the big Fed spotlight on them? I think you girls know way more than you should; might even be a bit of a liability. SAMCRO might be happy to see both of you have a little accident." He winked at her. "The loving arms of the Feds might be the safest place for you. Just think about it, darling."

He reached over and hit emergency stop button to release it. The elevator opened at the next floor. He smiled at her and stepped out. "Hope your sister gets better; your nephew too, heard that little guy was a fighter but you just never know do you? Take a day; think over what you need to do."

The elevator doors slid shut behind him and Jaci was alone again. She let out a gasping breath and ran her hands over her face. She would have loved to sink to the floor and had a full on crying fit but instead she made herself hold it together until she could get to her car. Then the angry tears flowed hot down her face.

Jaci sat on the side of her bed and stared at the clock…1:30am. She couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she thought about Abel in his toaster or Vix lying paralyzed in her hospital bed and Darby's threats. She hadn't told anyone about the elevator confrontation; that situation needed to be handled _very _carefully. Just blurting out his threat could set off World War III and no one could survive that right now; death and jail time would rain down on the Nords and SAMCRO alike.

Not that she trusted Darby, but she felt she had a bit of time before he started making any moves against her. She had major decisions to make, life changing ones. The grip of control she thought she had over this whole situation had slipped away today after Darby's chat. She needed something to calm her down tonight. She would have loved to drink herself into a completely shitfaced stupor but that probably wouldn't really help anything. She let out a sigh and switched to staring at the phone on the nightstand. She picked up the prepaid and considered all of the Fed attention she was getting. _Oh what the hell, give it a try. _She called Tig.

"Yeah." He answered on the second ring.

Thank God he had answered; just hearing his voice on the line was a comfort. "Hey. It's me. Were you asleep? I mean, are you at home?"

"Yeah I'm home. Wasn't asleep yet but I was headed that way. What's wrong?"

She told a half truth. "Can't sleep. All I think about is Vix and the shithole mess we've gotten ourselves into."

"Well, you need to take a pill or something. You gotta sleep. You're gonna start to look like shit."

Jaci frowned; not exactly the comforting words she was hoping for. She snapped back, "Thanks. You're always so helpful." She knew Tig _was_ concerned about her but just once she would like to hear it expressed in a normal damn way. She wanted to defend herself by saying consenting to paralyzing your sister and withstanding a Nord threat tends to have a negative effect on one's appearance but remained quiet.

Tig cleared his throat. "Well, I'm just saying you're burning your candle at both ends and the middle right now. It's gonna catch up."

Jaci ignored his attempt at wisdom. She took a deep breath and blurted out the real reason for her call. "I want to come over." That was what she needed…to be with _him_, where she knew she would be 100% safe and protected. It might be the last time they had together if her plan worked out.

"Like now? Here?" Confusion came through his voice. "That's not happening."

Her heart sank _again_. She was losing count on how many times that feeling had hit her today. "Why not? You're alone aren't you?"

"Yes, goddamnit, I'm alone. Are _you _alone?" He snapped back, offended at the accusation.

"Yes, utterly and absolutely." Jaci replied sadly but then bristled slightly. "Who the hell would I be with?"

"Well, isn't Motor staying at your house?" Tig asked coldly. "You two are pretty fucking chummy."

"Yeah, he is staying at my house, along with my aunt and uncle." Through gritted teeth Jaci asked, "Are you implying that I am fucking my cousin?"

"By marriage…he's your cousin _by marriage. _There's no blood relation holding him back." Tig continued to elaborate. "You're a hot ass damsel in distress and he's got a dick. You go crying on his shoulder, shit could happen….that's all I'm saying."

"Oooh, jealous much?" Jaci closed her eyes and shook her head and started her rant. "Ok, I don't know what vision you have of the South in that little closed off brain of yours but contrary to popular belief, we do NOT fuck our cousins, by _marriage_ or otherwise! Motor is FAMILY, end of goddamn story! And furthermore, it wouldn't matter whose shoulder I was crying on- I wouldn't fucking cheat on you!" Jaci took a deep breath again and growled, "Why are you being such an ass right now?!"

"I don't know!!" Tig roared back with an honest knee jerk response and went off on a rant of his own. "Shit…I know you aren't fucking around with Motor…I don't know why I even said that. Fuck, don't tell him I said that shit…I don't want to have to throw down with him in the middle of the ICU waiting room. It's just…you got your ex goddamn fiancé bending the law for you and texting you every other fucking minute, your aunt, uncle and _cousin _all swooped in from across the damn country to help you…and I can't even be in a room with you without using the fucking buddy system. How fucking useless is that?"

"Well then, be useful right now…let me come over." Jaci said.

"Look, I wouldn't mind you being here, but there is probably a Fed parked in a car watching your house right now. Coming over here would be like fucking Christmas for them." Tig explained.

"I wouldn't come straight to your place. I'm not fucking stupid. I could park a couple of blocks away and walk into your place the back way." Tig's reaction was not the one she was hoping for and his tone hit her like a slap to the face. She was too damn stressed, she needed some _nice _from him. Things had been so hectic since Vix was arrested; she and Tig had had zero alone time together. Things with them were tense and a little strained due to the stress and they needed to reconnect, even he was feeling that. Tears welled in her eyes and she tried to keep her voice calm and delivered the understatement of the year. "It's been an awful day…you have know idea how awful. I just want…I _need_ to see you." She sounded a sad laugh. "I'm a little shaky, you know?"

Tig wanted to see her too but was thinking more clearly than she was. She was a big ole emotional wreck. "Too risky; until all of this blows over, we're on ice, you know that."

"I'm talking about sneaking around here, Tig; not holding your hand down Main Street." She forced a laugh. "Come on, _outlaw_…bend the rules a little."

"Can't do it. I'm not getting the club's balls in a ringer over a piece of ass." He wanted to add _again _but thought better of it.

Annoyance came alive in her again. "Piece of ass?! Tig, I'm not wanting _fucked_ tonight. Quite the damn opposite."

Tig let out a frustrated sigh. "I KNOW THAT but a Fed that follows you over here is going to be thinking booty call and that's what is going to get around. It's not happening, whatever _it _would be…end of story. The Club can't stand any more heat."

It was Jaci's turn to sigh as she wiped away tears. _The Club, the Club, the Club, gotta protect the Club. How many times have I heard that over the span of my fucking life? I am TRYING to protect the damn Club; I just need some shelter right now!! _She choked out, "Fine."

"Are you crying?" Tig gripped the phone and waved it around his head in frustration before continuing. He hated this whole damn situation. Things had been good between them before the wave of ATF arrests. Coming out to the club should have been a relief and maybe even a good thing for them but under the circumstances it was driving a serious wedge. "Look, I know you are all messed up right now, but_ just go to sleep_. Things will be better tomorrow. I'll try to get Bobby to come with me to the hospital, like we're checking on Juice and stuff again. You'll see me then."

"You'll _try _…damn, I feel so special…all my burdens are lifted. I can totally go to sleep now." Jaci spit back with sarcasm.

"Don't get pissy. It's just the way shit is right now." Again he minded his words and didn't remind here that her and her sister had created this little mess in the first place. No one had _made _them skip out on a warrant or kill a guy all those years ago.

Jaci was defeated and wished she hadn't even called. Now she would be up thinking about problems with Tig all night too. "Alright, never mind…forget I called. I'll see you when I see you."

"You'll see me _tomorrow_. Go to sleep." Tig said with a softer voice but it was too late for that; the damage was already done for the night.

Jaci fell back on the bed with her palms pressed to eyes. _Damnit!!_ She was so frustrated with Tig she wanted to scream. _Would it fucking KILL him to be normal and supportive just ONE fucking time??!_ She pushed out a breath and was instantly frustrated with herself for being such a whiny bitch. That was NOT who she was under normal circumstances but normal had left the party until further notice. She had to blame herself a bit. Tig would have been a hundred kinds of supportive if she would have told him the truth about the Darby confrontation…well, he would have be_ homicidal_, not exactly supportive. He would have been at her house in a heartbeat, Fed babysitters be damned, he would have came to protect her.

She banged the back of her head on the bed headboard repeatedly in frustration._ Ugh…Tig…why did things have to be so HARD with him? Nothing ever comes easy. It's all drama-drama-drama with little moments of pure happiness and then more drama. Damnit._

The more she thought about all the shit happening in her life, the more upset she got. Finally the tears started pouring out of her. She had the good long cry she had need to have all week; the kind of cry where your body is racked with sobs, snot pours out of your nose, your head throbs and feels like its going to explode. Through the crying she was able to gain some clarity on her situation and she knew what she needed to do to make everything right. No one would be happy about the solution and it would change her life forever but it had to happen.

The great thing about a cry like that…at the end of it, you're fucking sleepy. As she lay in bed in the last few moments before falling into much needed sleep she though, _Damn you, Tig. You little shit…you helped me get to sleep after all._

_**Stay tuned for the rest of HELL WEEK…**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Fire & Ice**

**Chapter 18- HELL WEEK ****(**_**our**_** version of Better Half)**

**By BG and Reaper**

**PART 3: ****THURSDAY Rock Bottom**

When Jaci awoke in the morning, she pulled herself out of bed and rummaged through one of her bathroom cabinets. She had bought some expensive little soothing eye pads that were supposed to reduce puffiness and dark circles. _Time to put these fuckers to the test! _She took a shower and got dressed for the day. The house was quiet but she smelled coffee so someone had to be around. She walked into the kitchen to find BB sitting at the table.

He nodded at her. "Finally get some sleep?"

"Not much." She headed for the coffee pot. "How bout you? You hungover?"

BB shrugged. "Not really. I think I look better than you do."

She nodded and took in his attire. "Rockin' the Skynrd tee-shirt. I'd give anything to be in _Sweet Home Alabama_ right about now."

BB set his mug of coffee down. "Ah darlin', can't change the facts just by changin' the geography."

She swallowed hard. "I need to talk to you."

"I don't like the sound of that." BB replied with a frown. "Does this have anything to do with Tig? Cause I don't want to even think about all that. And I ain't discussing _Lightening-Bolt Head_ either. He leapfrogged to the head of my goddamn shit list."

"Doesn't have to do with them…well, not exactly."

"Shit…have a seat…let's hear it."

Jaci obliged and sat down, wrapping her hands around her coffee mug. She winced as she looked at her uncle; she spilled her guts about the Darby threats and her presented her idea to try and save all of those involved. After a few minutes of arguing, they headed to the hospital to check up on Vix and then to find Clay.

At 7am, the hospital was all quiet when BB and Jaci arrived.

"I'm gonna go check on Vix." Jaci announced to BB. He grumbled something about being in the waiting room with Roxy and Motor, as they parted ways.

BB found Roxy passed out in a chair and Motor seated a few feet away with his arms crossed across his chest. His stillness belied his attentiveness. He stood up as BB entered the room and greeted him with a nod and a half-hug.

"How it go last night?" BB asked.

"Been purty quiet. Rox mentioned something about IV alarms keepin' goin' off?" Motor held his hands up in defeat. "I'm no good with relayin' medical junk."

BB nodded towards Roxy. "How she holdin' up?"

"She's alright… said she needed to recharge her battery. You're suppose ta wake her up when you get here."

BB nodded. "I will _when I 'get here_'. First, you're gonna want to join me for some nicotine. I need to ask a favor of ya."

Jaci entered Vix's room to find that Juice had apparently either begged, borrowed or stolen a recliner and had pulled it up next to the bed. He was sitting in it staring at the TV, engaged in a one-sided conversation with the currently comatose Vix.

"Ok, so you know this hospital TV sucks ass and the only fucking channel on right now is PBS. And well, babe, I have another entry in our '_WTF? List'…_. it is _Riverdance._. I mean I just don't get it, I am trying to be totally open minded but all those people hoppin' up and down ... they all just look like they have to go to the bathroom or somethin'. And the music... I would call up and pledge money for them to _stop_ playin' it."

Jaci smiled - a genuine smile - and cleared her throat, to announce herself. Juice looked up and nodded 'hey'.

She nodded back and walked over to the bed and looked at Vix. "So, how are things on the medical front?"

Juice pressed the button to turn the TV off and shrugged, "Fevers keep spiking, they had her covered in an ice blanket a while ago, took it off when the shivering kept causing the alarm on her IV to go off. _Dr. Dickhead_ made last rounds. Sorta questioned my sanity for sitting here talkin' to her, but I just told him what we read on the internet 'bout how even in a medicine coma like this, she is supposed to be able to hear us. And that if she knows we are here for her it will make her fight to come back. You know ... that she won't give up." Juice shrugged. "He just rolled his eyes, wrote in her chart and left. He thinks I am a complete retard."

Jaci nodded. "I agree with that."

Juice studied her. "You think I am a retard too?"

Jaci smiled. "Um, NO! I completely agree that talkin' to her, letting her know we are here... that stuff will work out. She needs that. Vix is a scrappy girl but everyone can use a bit of back up."

Juice nodded. "So is your uncle here?"

"Yeah."

"I guess he'll want to come in and see her, so I'm gonna go hit up the 3rd floor vending machine. The selection's better." He stood up to leave the room.

Jaci put her hand out to stop him. "You know, I am… I just want to say…" She paused to get her thoughts just right. "I'm glad Vix has you in her corner. And being completely honest, I totally under-estimated you and I'm sorry." She looked up and noted his confusion. "Yeah, um... I really just thought you were a good-natured guy who took a shine to my bat-ass crazy sister - _moth to a flame _or whatever. But as fucked up as our time in Charming has been - it stood to show that you really care about her. And I just wanted to you to know that I am happy that she has you."

Juice nodded. "I do care, **a lot.**" He glanced over at the bed but quickly looked away. "I… I may never know _why_... and I really, don't need to know _why_, I just know that I _**need to**_ care. There is just…from like the word _go_ Vix has had this effect on me – she's become more important than oxygen to me and um all of this shit, the drama - it's a test. Like of how much I love her and I'm gonna pass it." He nodded at Jaci and then walked out of the room, leaving Jaci more than a bit stunned.

Jaci shook her head, thinking _underestimated __maybe a damn_ _understatement._ She looked down at her sister. "And you….damn you would be so pissed if you could see how your hair looks right now. You're my baby sister - so I am fixin' to make everything right. You may be real mad at me when you wake up but my intentions are good ok? So remember that." Jaci choked back tears. "And I'm always gonna look out for you – even if I am not actually around to do it. But you know, I'm at ease with that… because you've got Juice now and that boy's got your back six ways to Sunday, so you'll be ok. Just hurry up and get better ok?" She bent down and kissed Vix's forehead. "I love you, baby girl." She headed out to find BB.

Jaci sat in her car, waiting for Tig to answer her call. BB stood outside the car smoking. Tig finally picked up. She didn't beat around the bush. Her nerves were too fried to try and make idle chit chat. She told him they needed to talk, in person as soon as possible and Clay needed to be in attendance.

Tig asked, "That bad, huh? You ok?"

A sad laugh escaped from her lips. "Not really."

_Goddamnit. Did she have to be so cryptic? _"Sit tight, I'll call you back with a meet place."

He called back a few minutes later and told her to go to Clay's house. Other than the clubhouse, it was a verified 'bug free' zone. And it wouldn't raise any suspicions if Jaci and BB went there together; Feds would just think they were just sharing hospital news.

Jaci and BB arrived at Clay's a half hour later. The first thing Clay noticed was that BB looked pissed and Jaci looked scared. Neither were _good_ signs.

Tig stood with Jaci in the living room while Clay and BB grabbed some beers from the kitchen. He stared at her with concern. She looked horrible, a complete 180 from how she had looked when he left her yesterday- pale skin, red rimmed eyes, lips were tattered from being bit, her trademark nervous tick. He stood close to her for a moment, his hand at the small of her back. "You ok?" he whispered in her ear as she leaned into him.

She shook her head and sighed. "_**Ok**_ -is officially a foreign concept. We had to put Vix on a ventilator and then medically induce paralysis last night. Juice and BB got into it." She waved her hands about, "It wasn't pretty."

"Shit." Tig whispered.

Jaci glanced over her shoulder suddenly to make sure they were alone and then placed her hand on his chest. She put her head against his shoulder and whispered. "That's not why I'm here though. I've fucked some stuff up but I'm going to fix it. I'm trying to make things right, ok? No matter what gets said here, I'm trying to help. I think it's the best thing."

Tig frowned and recoiled from her slightly. "What did you do?" Tig whispered. "Look at me."

She stared at him fiercely, eyes filling with tears. He was confused by her sudden emotion. She was a bundle of nerves, something was hitting her hard.

"Alright, let's get on with it!" Clay called from the kitchen, cutting off their moment.

They all headed to the dining room. Clay brought up the rear and watched as Tig walked along side Jaci with his palm resting on her lower back. It was a tender gesture and odd for Clay to see coming from his friend. They took seats around the table; Clay at the head, Tig at his usual spot to Clay's right, BB at Clay's left. Jaci sat next to BB and kept her eyes down. Everyone was silent and waited for someone else to speak.

BB nudged Jaci. "Go."

Jaci took a deep breath. "OK, before I start, I just want you guys to _remain calm_, ok? Please. Just don't freak out."

"You just tell what you have to tell and we'll see how calm we can stay." Clay said with a sneer.

"Darby cornered me at the hospital last night…" Jaci started, looking down at the table.

"What?! When?" Tig, who had been leaning straight back against his chair, shot forward to have his hands on the table.

Clay shot Tig a look. "Calm." He reminded in a sing song voice.

Tig clenched his jaw but let Jaci continue. "He got me catching the elevator after seeing Abel last night. Stepped in with me, hit the emergency stop button so we could…_chat_."

"Did he hurt you?" When she shook her head, Tig asked. "What did he say to you? _Word for word._" He felt like a complete asshole. She must had called him last night because of Darby's threats…she _needed _him and he turned her away. _Shit._

Jaci fidgeted as she rattled off Darby's tirade. "Said Vix and I broke the 'arrangement' by coming back and staying in Charming. Said we needed to come clean about what happened to Justin." She paused and swallowed hard. "Said hospitals were dangerous places for sisters and little baby nephews. Accidents happened all the time; he hoped nothing bad happened to my family."

Clay was red-faced by the time she finished. "That motherfucker." He muttered.

"It was pretty clear that we either 'fess up about Justin or my family's going to get hurt. I figure I have a day or so before he starts applying…pressure."

Tig slapped his hand down on the table and looked at Clay expectedly. "Now can we take him out? After all the _shit _he has pulled and got away with…can we finally do it NOW?!"

He ignored Tig. "Darby's probably just talking shit, trying to get us in a panic. So…" Clay gauges Jaci's current emotional and mental states, "mission accomplished. He was surprised Darby hadn't made a move to harass the Parker girls before now. Apparently he was waiting for the perfect time. "Need to get someone to watching out for them though, just in case."

BB held up a hand. "Done. I gave Motor the short version of events and told him to wreck any skinhead that came near. He's sitting in front of Abel's room and more than happy to oblige. And seein' how Juice is always with Vix and if he isn't Roxy is, that's covered for now. Didn't want to freak out Juice and Jax until we had this little talk."

"So what now?" Tig asked Clay. "If you think Darby's just talking shit?"

BB snorted and glared at Jaci. "Tell 'em _what now_, J."

Tig caught the annoyance in BB's voice. Every exchange he had seen between the two had always been loving but BB was obviously pissed at her today.

Clay rubbed his face. "Why do I get the feeling I haven't heard the worst part?"

"Cause you haven't. Genius here…" BB jerked his thumb toward Jaci, "thinks Darby has a point."

"What point?…Talking to the cops?!" Tig's eyes widened and he stared at Jaci. "No, he doesn't have a point! Are you fucking mental?"

"Thank you." BB nodded at Tig. "Darby's just a loud mouth skin head that's about to get his ass plowed. End of story."

Clay looked more closely at Jaci. She usually had a confident air about her but not today. She looked like she was about to throw up. Something was weighing HEAVY on that girl's mind. "Spill it."

She stared at the table. "Darby wants _justice_ for his nephew, I want my family safe, and you all want the heat off the Club. I think there is a way to make it all happen."

"And how's that going to work?" Clay asked. "You're going to just going to waltz into the police station and start making shit up about what Vix did that night and that's magically going to take heat off us?!"

"Well, yes… because I'm not going to make _anything_ _up_. Vix didn't kill Justin Darby." Jaci couldn't bring herself to look at Tig so she leveled her eyes on Clay. "I did."

"Bullshit." But one look in her eyes and Clay knew she was telling the absolute truth.

Tig was too stunned to say anything. He just stared at her with his mouth hanging open. The night at the cabin, he had made a crack about her _killing a Nord_ but he was joking. He wanted an explanation. "Hold up. _Vix_ killed him. I mean, that's the story, right? What the fuck really happened that night??"

"Vix ran her mouth to Justin a few times, embarrassed him, so he had been eyeing her for awhile, was going to jump her, score some points with his crew…that asshole uncle of his. He tricked her into meeting him one night out in the woods where she had been going with other guys. I went looking for her cause we were going to be late for curfew again. I figured she might be out there. I walked up on her getting jumped."

"And you did what any good protective sister would do…" Clay winced and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling a headache coming on strong.

Jaci nodded. "I grabbed the first rock I came to and beat that fucker's skull in with it."

Tig let out an amused, "Huh." He couldn't get his head around her confession. _Miss Straight and Narrow beat a guy to death?? With a goddamn rock?! Damn she's full of surprises._

She continued. "We cleaned up the scene, moved his body to another spot in the woods and buried him, burned all of our clothes from that night, and dumped the rock in the river. Went home and Vix caught hell from Dad like any other Friday night. We probably wouldn't have even been questioned but Justin had told one of his buddies he was going to _get_ Vix and that guy squealed. That threw the suspicion on her and then on me since I was always getting her out of trouble."

BB finished the story. "But the cops didn't have shit and had to let them go, as you all know. Then I got them the hell out of town."

"You sneaky little bitches." Tig said with a low laugh.

"It's not funny, Tig." Jaci said quietly.

Clay disagreed and leaned back in his chair. "No, it is actually. Its funny how you popping a Nord when you were a damn _teenager _can come back to bite _ME_ in the ass _now_. You were already quickly becoming _Charming's Most Wanted_, you understand that? Inside knowledge to two charters of the Sons, _and_ you're fucking Tig…but add a murder rap to all of that and you're the Holy fucking Grail now! Stahl has to have a huge hard-on for you."

"Oh you haven't heard the best part." BB interjected. "Tell them your fucked up, crazy plan to fix everything."

Jaci stared defiantly at her uncle and took a deep breath and looked at Clay again. "I cop to the murder, which placates Darby- he leaves my family alone. Vix's in the clear for the Mississippi shit. Stahl won't go after her for Justin because she finally gets what she really wanted with all of this significant-other harassment, which seems to be ME. She will pull off SAMCRO for a while, giving you guys time to breathe and make any _rearrangements_ you need. I'll drag my feet and toy with Stahl making her think I'm going to roll a bit more. I could have her chasing her tail for a year, easy. I'll never rat and she loses all leverage with me since I am already willingly doing 25 to life."

"No- not fucking happening. Absolutely not!" Tig snapped and pointed at Jaci. "Darby can be _placated _by a fucking dirt nap. You're not copping to shit."

BB threw in his two cents. "Like I told you, J- I love you, but you are out of your fucking element here. No one is going to play by the damn rules you have in your pretty little head."

"Exactly. Besides, you can't do twenty five to life… no fucking way. You'd slit your wrists in six months." Tig gestured toward Jaci with his hand. "Reality check for ya, doll…Darby is going to fuck with your family no matter what you do. Stahl will gladly throw your ass in jail then throw Vix in next to you for aiding and abetting, conspiracy and whateverthefuck . Then she's going to say SAMCRO knew all about it and helped you cover it up."

"And she'll toss in the Bama Chapter for helping you 'escape' and start tearing through our shit next." BB added.

"Goddamn RICO jackpot." Clay finished. "Believe me, Jaci, we've thought about controlled burns before; RICO makes them impossible. One little tiny thing a hundred damn years ago could bring us down these days."

"Well then what the fuck am I supposed to do??" Jaci threw her hands up in frustration and stood up, pointing to herself. "If ya'll are so goddamn smart, tell me what to do!! I'm fucking drowning here!"

"Hey- take it easy!" Tig yelled at her.

BB grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into her chair roughly. "Sit."

"Ok, ok. Everybody calm down." Clay barked. He looked at Jaci. "Look, I know you're scared about your family. Hell, we're all worried right now; even more with Darby throwing his hat in the ring. But this is how it works, how the Feds break you; they rattle your cage until you go crazy and do something desperate and stupid. You're little plan, while noble in theory, is both _desperate_ and _stupid_. It would play right into their damn hands."

"Fine." Jaci said through gritted teeth. She stared at the table for a moment trying to regain her composure. "How do we FIX things?"

"We do nothing. We sit and wait and keep our mouths shut. Vix's warrant is null and void now right?" Clay asked.

"Yeah." Jaci replied. BB slapped at her shoulder. She rephrased her response. "Yes."

Clay continued. "And Stahl doesn't have shit on Justin's murder or else she would have hauled you in by now, right? No body, no witnesses, no weapon, no murder. She's bluffing."

"Short of finding the body, there's NOTHING she could have on that." She agreed.

Clay waved his hands. "Then we just wait for her to run out of steam. She can only scream and yell for so long before the brass tells her to put up or shut up and pulls her out of here."

"What about Darby?" Jaci asked.

Tig beat Clay to an answer. "If he looks like he's serious about going after any one of you, I'll pop him myself and enjoy every fucking second of it. That's a promise. You just gotta be cool."

"Be cool?" Jaci raised her eyebrows. "That's your fucking answer to this whole situation? Be cool??"

BB sighed and reluctantly defended Tig's statement. "It works, Jaci. Tried and true."

After a few more minutes of talking, they were finished. Clay walked BB outside, giving Tig and Jaci a moment alone. They stood facing each other in the kitchen. She waited for the screaming to begin. But Tig didn't scream and that made her more nervous.

"You got any other deep dark secrets waiting to jump out and fucking strangle me?" Tig stared hard at her.

"No. My closet's nice and clean now." Jaci replied without hesitation and looked at the floor, ashamed.

Tig clenched his jaw and kept his eyes on her. He believed her, killing Justin was probably the only really bad thing Jaci had ever done in her life. Hell, it would take him years of confession to clear out his closet. He walked away from her to stand at the kitchen counter, his back turned to her.

Jaci furrowed her brow and walked over to him. "Look, I'm sorry for all of _this._ I was trying to do the best thing for everyone." He didn't respond so she asked, "How mad are you?"

"Oh, I'm mad; pissed actually." Tig snorted and pushed an empty beer bottle around on the counter, not looking at her. "I want to kill Darby slowly and painfully and then slap you upside the head for even _thinking_ about talking to the Feds. That's a stupid fucking idea, Jaci. You know better than that." He stepped closer beside her, still not making eye contact and his voice softened. "But you wanting to go to bat for your sister, for the club like that. That's some heavy shit... most people wouldn't stick their neck out like that."

"So…you're saying it was a nice gesture but…"

"But good intentions will lead you _and_ me straight to Hell, Jaci." He turned toward her and lifted her chin so she looked at him. "Just keep your mouth shut. The Club…we've been through shit like this before…I swear this will all go away if you just stay quiet. I can't have any doubts about…"

She shook her head. "No doubts. My hand has been slapped so my lips are firmly sealed."

"Good." He dropped his hand away from her because part of him wanted to shake her so he thought it best not to touch her again at all. "Where are you headed now?"

She sighed. "Back to the hospital; get to our daily game of _Hurry Up and Wait_, you know, for Vix to get better."

Tig nodded. "Stay close to your uncle and Motor."

"Ok." Jaci replied quietly and stood still. She wanted him to say something else but he seemed to be finished with the conversation. She wanted to touch him so badly, to feel his arms around her but that didn't appear to be in the cards right now. She started to wonder if she had permanently fucked things up with him but hoped maybe he just needed some time to digest everything that had happened in the little sit down. After a moment, she received some physical contact from Tig…but it was only a tap to the shoulder.

"Go." Tig nodded toward the front door.

Clay shook hands with BB and watched the Bama Pres fire up Jaci's car. _Goddamn, what a morning._ Clay strolled back up his front walk as Jaci came out the front door. He told her to 'hang in there'; she nodded but avoided eye contact. He turned and watched her get into the passenger side of her car. He fired up his cigar again as he leaned against a bricked column on his porch. There was one Parker he couldn't quite figure out:

Wendy… just a lost cause.

Vix…that girl was easy, if she had a dick, Clay would have slapped a Reaper on her back in a heartbeat. Vix was rough and tumble, maybe a tad unpredictable and a bit of a pain in the ass but that girl would protect the Club at all costs without a doubt. No one had to wonder where her loyalties were…in for a penny, in for a pound, that was Vix.

Jaci…she was turning out to be a damn enigma. He thought he had her pegged as just the good sister, the one that had managed to pull her shit together despite her somewhat rocky upbringing. She seemed to be a model citizen, a protective sister and distant yet respectful of the Club. But obviously he had been very wrong about her. One minute she was prim and proper, the next she beats down a woman for insulting her family. She was a legit business woman but had her hands slightly dirty with doing favors for both the Bama and Charming charters. She seemed completely straight laced but yet she had been carrying on some kind of weird and incomprehensible relationship with Tig, of all people, for months. And, oh yeah...turns out she was a murderer. He had to hand it to her…she was very capable of keeping secrets. But she was dancing back and forth across a fine line between the Club life and the straight life. If push came to shove, Clay wondered which side she would land on. She had offered up a hell of a self sacrifice this morning. He was going to have to keep a close eye on her, make sure that brain of hers didn't cause any hiccups for him.

The main problem with Jaci and Vix was that they possessed an independent streak that ran a mile wide. Most women around MCs would follow an order blindly, no questions asked. But these two were a lot like Gemma. They were used to being in the know, close to the top and for the most part, not used to being told what to do. He expected there would come a time when he would have to put them in their place. He was giving Jaci the chance to follow an order by keeping her mouth shut…he hoped she would comply.

Clay finally walked back into his kitchen. He shook his head at Tig. "What the fuck was _that_? I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't a murder confession and life in prison volunteerism."

Tig nodded his head in agreement. "No shit. She's fuckin' stressed to the max."

"You think she's going to crack?" Clay asked. "We're fucked if she decides to bear the weight of the cross here, Tig."

"No… she'll hold. Just gets a little lost without a _plan_. Now that she knows her plan is shit, she'll go with ours." Tig crossed his arms. "You think Darby's really bluffing? He was serious about trying to take you out…"

Clay waved him off. "Darby was too chicken shit to try to take us out himself, had Alvarez do it and look where that got him…barely missed a bullet in his own dome. Darby's not going to stick his neck out again, he's just talking shit. We keep this quiet… don't cause an unnecessary panic, just like we told her. No Jax, no Juice. You and Bobby hang around the hospital, hook up with Motor; keep an eye on things. Make sure Jaci sticks to the _plan_."

Tig nodded… quasi bodyguard, great.

"I'm serious…she looks like she might start thinking too independently again…you clamp down on that shit hard and fast, you hear me?" Clay warned.

"Absolutely." Tig replied. He wished Jaci would have come to him first with the news of Darby's threat and her not so brilliant idea to fix it all. He could have squashed her fears without dragging Clay into it like this. He knew Clay was already skeptical about him being with Jaci…her wanting to rat herself out to the Feds had probably made a simultaneously horrible and good impression on the SAMCRO Prez.

BB drove them back to the hospital and pulled into an empty space. He grabbed Jaci's hand as she started to get out. "Hold up, we need to discuss a few things real quick."

Jaci slumped back against the seat. She could have sworn her ass was demolished by now but apparently there was still more of it to chew. "What now?"

"It's time for you to buck up, my darlin'. You've made your bed in many ways, time to be responsible for it. I know you're scared about Vix. But that's in God's hands now, nothing we can do about it. But we can hold down the fort while she is struggling to get back to us."

Jaci raised her eyebrows, listening intently.

BB continued, "That bitch Stahl thinks she has your number, she's just waiting for you to break. But you're way stronger and tougher than she knows. It's time you showed it. No more nervous looks and slumped shoulders and tears. You go in that hospital today and _own_ it. Fuck Stahl, fuck Darby's threats, fuck turning yourself in. You're not giving them shit. They want to tear this family, this Club apart, make _them_ do it, don't goddamn help 'em. Like we told you today, if everybody just holds together, this will all blow over."

His words hit her hard but they were exactly what she needed to hear. She had killed Justin, she had chosen to get mixed up in Club business over the years, and she had gotten involved with Tig. All were _her_ decisions, time to stop whining about the consequences of all of it. BB was exactly right.

"You savvy?" BB asked.

Jaci sat up straight and nodded. "Yes, sir."

"That's my girl." He opened the car door and smiled warmly. "Take a moment and get your shit together… come on up when you're ready."

She sat in the car for a long while, just zoned out. Finally she trudged inside the hospital and immediately dozed off in chair in the ICU waiting room. It had been a long night and a killer morning.

"They do everything but have you sign a damn guest book." Sadie commented about the ATF agents as she and Ruby entered the waiting room of the ICU. They found Jaci slumped to one side in a chair, elbow propped up, holding her head in her hand, asleep. She heard the ladies approaching and opened her eyes.

"Just you today, dear?" Ruby asked Jaci. "How is our girl doing?"

"Vix is the same… no better ... but no worse. I guess I should thank God for small favors. You just missed Roxy… BB finally dragged her outta here. Took her back to my place to try and sleep." She yawned and then snorted. "Sorry, it was a tough night. This waiting is so damn tiresome; it drains you."

"I am going to sneak a peek. I suppose Jean Carlos is in there with her."

Jaci nodded and Ruby disappeared down the hall.

Sadie looked at Jaci and asked. "Does he sit with her all day and night?"

Jaci sighed and smiled. "Pretty much…. This waiting room or the vending machine is about as far as anyone can get him to budge and that is only if one of the family is with her or if they need to do some medical treatment. He's too scared to leave for any extended period of time."

When Ruby returned later she sat down in a chair and pulled some knitting out of her bag. She began working the yarn and then stopped, suddenly turned towards Jaci. Ruby said, "You should have rang me."

Jaci looked at her questioningly.

"Someone should have rang me when they decided to put her on the ventilator. I admonished Jean Carlos and I am you as well. That young lady is very dear to me, why on God's green earth everyone feels the need to spare me! I am a tough old gal, I can handle it… but NO, I get to be shocked by the sight. No better, but no worse, my arse."

"I'm sorry… we didn't mean not to tell everyone. The decision to do it was very stressful and hard and then we had to paralyze her and that started this huge battle of wills and almost fists between BB and Juice."

"WHAT?" Sadie and Ruby both gasped.

"Yeah, they aren't exactly talking right now. BB was against the paralyzing and Juice was beyond freaked out about it but was completely PRO- paralyzation if it would assure that she got the oxygen she needed." Jaci looked over and saw how the two older ladies  
were trying to wrap their brains around Vix's latest medical drama. She sighed and started at the beginning. "See the infection that she has been fighting due her appendix bursting and all its juices going all over… it just kept going and attacking her body. The wide spectrum antibiotics were not working and it reached her lungs. They were like sopping wet sponges and she couldn't breathe. They hit her with triple doses of antibiotics but they weren't working. All her vitals got weaker… so the doctors said they needed to put her on a ventilator. She can still breathe on her own but needed some help."

"Oh my good lord." Sadie remarked.

"Ok, I can understand that… but what about the paralyzing?" Ruby asked.

Jaci cleared her throat to cover a sob stuck in her throat. "Her body was instinctively fighting the ventilator; Tara says that can happen- they are very invasive. Well, her body's instinctive fighting wasn't allowing for the vent to do its job and so she still wasn't getting enough oxygen and she was zapping what little energy she had fighting the vent. The doctors said they needed to paralyze her so that the vent could do its job. They had to explain the risks of paralyzing her, rattled off numbers, odds of this happening… odds of that happening, but they still insisted that paralyzing her was the way to go."

She took a deep breath and continued. "BB didn't want to sign the consent form, felt, likely still does, that Vix would hate to be paralyzed and worried over the stuff that could go wrong. He really wanted to wait and see which is not like BB, he is completely spooked. And Juice kept saying that her organs need oxygen… did he want Vix to turn into a vegetable because her brain couldn't get oxygen… it damn near ended up in a fist fight right here in this room. I mean I was holding back Juice and Motor was holding back BB, Roxy was in the middle yelling at them to stop fighting. I finally piped in that she was practically already paralyzed from the Ativan coma they have her in, so in the end BB signed the papers and then went to the clubhouse and drank pretty much all night." Jaci rolled her shoulders. "He still won't talk to Juice. I think Juice's insinuating that he was gonna turn Vix into a vegetable hurt him a lot."

Ruby stammered. "But, but I am sure that Jean was just trying to make a point that …"

Jaci nodded. "Oh I am too, and he succeeded. Roxy and I know he only has Vix's best interests in mind, but so does BB. He'll come around; it'll just take a while. Like I said, BB is completely spooked by all of this, he came here to see her outta jail time and now he is just praying to see her live another day."

Ruby and Sadie stayed for about an hour. Juice had actually came out into the waiting room and tried to make polite conversation. As soon as they were gone, he headed right back inside to Vix. Jaci sat in the waiting alone with her thoughts.

She was thinking she had really fucked things up with Tig. Pretty much the most hated thing in MC life is a rat and she had volunteered to be one…granted she was ratting on herself but everyone seemed rather pissed about it. Now since her brilliant idea had exploded in her face it was apparently time to move on to Plan B…_being cool_.

Next thing she knew, she was looking up to see Motor and Tig walking together down the hallway toward her. She frowned. _What the hell?_

Motor and Tig sat down across from her. She raised her eyebrows.

Tig said somewhat cheerfully, "Bobby and me are on Nord watch. You're uncle's upstairs with him watching Abel."

Jaci nodded. _Great, BB is too ticked at me to actually come by and tell me that he came back_. Motor announced he had to take a piss, leaving Tig and Jaci alone.

"Told ya you'd see me today." Tig smirked.

She bit her lip. "I already saw you today…it didn't go so well." She searched his face, hoping that he didn't cut ties with her right then and there.

"Well, that little discussion has been blocked from my memory."

"So we're ok?" She ventured.

He shrugged and nodded.

Motor returned and the trio became the oddest set of waiting room companions ever. They passed the time by making idle chit chat followed by long bouts of comfortable silence. Jaci took to reading all the magazines in the room and pretty soon the guys were desperate for distractions because they even dissected a few Cosmopolitan issues themselves. The guys were unimpressed by the list of fifty super hot sexual positions, calling the list _amateur. _

Visitors came and went throughout the day. Mid afternoon, Motor sat with his arms crossed looking dead calm as always but he was antsy as hell. All the sitting around was beginning to get to him. Between the plane ride, the stress of maybe losing Vix, the fighting between Juice and BB, seeing Jaci upset and now the possibility of some skinheads trying to hurt his family...he was about ready to blow.

He turned to Tig, "I dunno about you, but I am ready to whoop somebody's ass."

Tig smirked. "Wound up are you?" He was feeling the exact same way.

Motor nodded and waved his hand around. "Too much waiting, not enough doing."

"I feel ya. If Darby's boys don't step up, we got a ring down at the cluhouse. We could go a few rounds, work some shit out." Jaci frowned at that idea.

The two guys were starting to like each other but still had a bit of posturing between them so the boxing offer from Tig was a bit of a challenge. Motor had a big brother vibe going with Jaci so he wasn't exactly keen on her being with Tig. Tig could understand that though, hell he fought with himself sometimes about being with her.

Eight o'clock that night…

Jaci stood up from her chair in the ICU waiting room and stretched. "I'm going upstairs to see Abel."

"You too good to hang out with us all of a sudden?" Tig asked with mock offense.

"Fine…go…see if we care." Motor mocked in his deep voice and crossed his arms.

Jaci rolled her eyes. "You guys are something else." She had to admit Tig and Motor had become quiet the pair. They had bonded quickly over mutual _Dean-hate_ and now, after the Darby threat, the duo had solidified, patrolling the hospital for Nords and keeping an eye on Vix and Abel and Jaci. She didn't mind at all, she was able to see much more of Tig since he stayed paired up with Motor. It all made for an interesting day in the waiting room that was for sure.

Motor started to stand up to escort her but Jaci shook her head. "I don't need a babysitter. It's just upstairs. Stay put. You guys want me to send BB or Bobby down? Let you guys rotate or something?"

Tig and Motor both frowned at her.

"Oh, nevermind… I won't break up your little Sergeant at Arms party." She really wanted to say she wouldn't dream of breaking up the _Wonder Twins _but thought better of it. She headed in the opposite direction of the elevators, turning left instead of right. "See ya'll later."

Motor frowned and called out, "Uh…J, wrong way."

"Nope, I'm running up the stairs. Too many bags of M&Ms this week; all that stress sugar's going straight to my ass." Jaci said with a laugh and walked away.

Upstairs, BB and Bobby patrolled the hallway in front of Abel's room. They alternated between sitting and pacing but were currently trying to play poker sitting side by side. Hours of no action came to a screeching halt when Bobby spotted Darby and two Nord goons walking down the hall toward them.

"BB, heads up." Bobby said softly as he stood up.

BB glanced up and shot to his feet as well, throwing his cards in the chair behind him. He took a step toward Abel's door, blocking it. Darby and his goons looked around the wing as they strutted closer. BB gritted his teeth as he looked them over; all wearing jeans and boots, the sleeves cut out of their shirts, Nazi tattoos on display for the world to see. _Fuckers. Look like damn vultures searching for prey. _He cleared his throat. "You boys lost?"

Darby smiled. "Not at all." He nodded towards the baby's room. "How's the boy?"

Bobby stepped closer to the pack of Nords with his fist clenched. "He's perfect…going to stay that way too."

"Oh, I should hope so." Darby replied with that fake ass smile plastered to his face. "Well, we got to be going; on my way to see my mother."

The Nords walked on past Abel's room, headed for the elevator. BB watched as Darby split from the others and took the elevator; the remaining two guys opted for the stairs. He nudged Bobby and he pulled out his cell phone. "Those fuckers are patrolling…looking for a weak link." He hit the auto dial for Motor's cell.

Motor's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and answered. "Yeah?"

"You might have some anti-semantic company headed your way. They just strolled by here, taking the stairs down to you." BB replied.

"Shit. Jaci's headed UP the stairs to you guys right now." Motor hissed as he stood up and kicked Tig's boot. He nodded toward the hallway and started walking.

"Goddamnit. Get to her! I'll head down there." BB replied and ended the call.

"What's up?" Tig whispered as they walked. He knew something was wrong; Motor's normal look of boredom had been replaced with a killer's sharp focus.

"Nords comin' down the stairs." Motor muttered back as he forced himself not to take off at a run down the hall.

"Jaci…" Tig clenched his fists and fell into step beside Motor.

"I know. Slow and easy." Motor replied as they walked toward the ATF agents little camp.

"Goddamn…why are these hallways so fucking long!" Tig hissed as they tried to appear normal, as if just taking a stroll to the cafeteria.

The exact second they rounded the corner from the agents, Tig slapped Motor's shoulder. "GO!" Both men took off running for the stairwell.

After running up one flight of stairs, Jaci decided it was ok to _walk_ up the rest of them. _Shit, I hate stairs…in shape or not, these things suck. _She trudged up the remaining flight lost in thought and didn't hear the door open up ahead of her; the next time she looked up, she was staring at two Nords blocking the stairwell exit. Judging by the look they gave her, she knew that Darby wasn't bluffing about hospitals being dangerous. He had to know by now that she wasn't going to do his bidding and it looked like it was time for her to pay the piper. Her heart sank.

"Oh what have we here??" One of the guys asked with a smile and stepped toward her.

She thought his name was Jenkins, but wasn't sure about the other one. _Maybe something with an H? Holmes? Hoover? Shit, think! Who are they?! May have to write their names with your blood before you die._

Hoover let loose a horribly uncomforting smile. "Hell, we don't even have to make the trip downstairs to fuck with your sister now. You'll do just fine."

Jaci forced herself not to turn and run. The Nords reminded her of pit bulls; they would only get more excited if she tried to make a sprint for it. She took one step backwards and leaned against the inside wall of the stairs before taking another step backwards. _Ok, talk some shit…keep them distracted, keep moving._

"So where's your master today? He got a Klan meeting or something?" She asked ruefully and took another step down.

"Joke now, bitch." Jenkins laughed and stepped down one step. "This is going to _hurt_."

So much for trying to stay calm and moving slowly, that cold laugh broke her calm resolve. Her brain screamed _RUN_ and so she turned on her heel and did just that, well _tried _to do that. She made it to the landing in between floors when she was jerked backwards violently by her hair. Her hands flew to the back of her head and tried to pry the guy's fingers loose but to no avail. She grunted and threw elbows next, hoping to make him drop at least one of his hands but that didn't work either.

"Teach her to fly, Jenks." Hoover called from behind them.

Jenkins wrapped an arm around her waist from behind and starting pushing her toward the next set of stairs leading downward. _Oh fuck…he's going to fucking throw me! No, no, no!! _Jaci scrambled to try and think what to do next. She tried digging in her heels to slow him down but that only made him left her up. Luckily, she had watched way too many action movies as a kid. When he lifted her off her feet, they were on the landing facing a wall. She kicked her heels up against the wall, folded in her legs and then pushed backwards off it as hard as she could. Thank God she had substantial leg muscles from running and boxing at the gym. The move sent her and her attacker flying into the set of stairs behind them that were leading _up_. Jenkins thumped his head against a stair and the impact caused him to let her go.

Jaci scrambled to her feet and ran a few steps thinking she might make it…before Hoover came out of no where and tackled her to the floor from behind, knocking the air out of her and smacking her head pretty good against the floor too. As she blinked away the stars she was seeing, she gasped for air and twisted onto her back, which was the wrong thing to do.Hoover straddled her quickly and pinned her arms down with his knees. She screamed once before he wrapped his hands around her throat.

"So much for a happy accident, fuckin' squirmy bitch. Do this the old fashioned way." Hoover spat at her while squeezing her throat.

With her arms pinned under her, she didn't have many fighting options. She tried to buck underneath him but he was too heavy to throw off. She strained to pull her chin closer to her chest, anything to make his choking of her less effective. Jaci squeezed her eyes open and shut. _Shit. I'm fucked. I'm so fucked._ _He was right…this does HURT. _

Jenkins yelled from his perch on the stairs above them. "Damnit, just break her neck. We should make it look like an accident!"

"Too late now. I almost got her though." Hoover replied over his shoulder. Her lungs started to burn; she couldn't get a breath at all. Her chest began to involuntarily spasm as her lungs worked to gain air. She pushed up with her hips and legs to try and wiggle out of his grasp but nothing worked. _Don't do this…please don't do this!! _She had been pleading with her eyes for Hoover to stop but that obviously wasn't going to work. Tears flowed as her brain began to comprehend her fate. _I'm going to die in a stairwell. End of damn story. Shit_. She squeezed her eyes shut again, no way was she going to let HIM be the last image in her mind. She tried to think of happier things: her sisters, Abel, BB and Roxy, Tig's sly smile. But those happy things turned sad in her mind. She would never hold Abel in her arms, never know if Vix woke up, never get to apologize to Wendy for harsh words, never see where things might have went with Tig. Her aunt and uncle would be devastated. _Damnit, damnit. I'm sorry guys…I'm sorry._

A moment later Hoover's hands suddenly released her throat, and her eyes shot open just in time to see a black blur come knocking into her attacker. The black blur was Motor dressed in his black jeans, black tee and deep blue leather cut. He tackled Hoover at a dead run, sending him flying off of Jaci. She rolled to her side and tried to breathe. She felt someone pull at the back of her shirt.

"Jaci, get up!" Tig yelled and tried to pull her to her feet as he ran passed her to chase Jenkins, who was scrambling back _up_ the stairs. "Go!"

She fell back down to her knees and crawled to her right, a few feet away from Motor and Hoover and glanced above her. She saw BB shoving Jenkins back down towards Tig. _Holy shit, the cavalry has arrived. _She continued to try and breathe but it hurt badly.

"Jaci! You ok?" BB yelled. No response. He whistled loudly. Jaci's head finally shot up toward him. "Watch the door, baby!" She was looking more than a little stunned as she sat up against the wall holding her throat. He needed her to snap out of it, last thing any of them needed was security busting in on this little party. She scooted closer to the door, semi ready to head off anyone that tried to enter. BB blocked the path from above.

Motor and Tig continued to beat the ever loving shit out of Jaci's attackers. The Nords had been so busy with her they had not heard the Sons running up the stairs until the last second; too late to retreat by then. She watched in stunned amazement at the ferocity at which the two SAAs fought. She had seen fights before but this event was something else entirely. There was an intensity to the fighting that was unsettling. Punches, kicks, knees and elbows were dished out by all parties along with grunts and shouts of profanity. Motor's nose was bleeding from taking an elbow to the face. Tig's sleeve was ripped half loose and his hair was wild. Both men were in the borderline _kill zone. _Jaci watched as Motor deemed his fight over and finally got to his feet. He stomped on Hoover's visibly mangled arm, another bone managed to crunch and the Nord curled into a pain filled ball on the ground. Motor spit on him and then looked up toward BB.

She heard a struggle above her and saw Tig dragging Jenkins _up _the stairs. Tig's lip was busted and as he wiped the blood away with his arm, a sick smile broke out across his face. That smile scared the hell out of Jaci. Tig spoke to Jenkins. "You were running up the stairs, right? Let's go up them." Jeninks didn't have a lot of fight left in him; he just flailed his legs in a lame attempt to get free. Tig continued to smirk as he reached the top of the stairs and BB helped pulled Jenkins into a half standing position. Tig leaned down and said loudly to the man, "You fucked up, asshole! You hear me?! Never should have touched her."

Jaci realized what Tig was about to do. Everyone had enough blood on their hands; they didn't need an actual dead body too. She inhaled sharply and tried to call out, "Tig…no!" It came out as only a low horse whisper though; her voice was shot from being strangled.

Motor was at her side in a second. As she got to her feet and started to call out again, Motor grabbed her hand and growled. "Shhh, fucker deserves it." Motor had half a mind to walk over to his now beaten opponent, grab his head and snap his neck but had resisted. Jaci watched quietly as Tig reared back and sent Jenkins toppling down the short flight of stairs with a hard shove. She jumped slightly when Jenkins thumped against the wall. The stairwell was completely silent.

Motor pulled at her hand gently. "Let's go."

Tig frowned with disappointment as he looked down at the two Nords. "Well shit, they're still breathing. Guess we half-assed it huh, Motor?"

"Fucked em up pretty good." Motor shrugged and walked Jaci up the stairs, still holding her hand, careful to keep himself between her and the injured Nords.

BB grabbed her in a fierce hug when she got close to him. "You ok, baby?" He checked her over protectively. Tig stood behind him, watching them but didn't say anything; he was still wound too tight from the fight.

She forced a small laugh and replied into BB's shoulder, "You guys cut it kinda close, didn't you?"

"Sorry bout that darlin'." BB replied and rubbed her back. "Ok ya'll- time to go. Find the nearest bathroom, get cleaned up. We'll meet back up and figure this shit out." He pulled opened the stairwell door and Jaci led the way out.

They had no more than stepped out of the doorway when a voice asked, "Is everything ok?"

Their heads whipped around to see Tara staring at them while holding a clipboard against her chest. They had to be quite a sight; Tig and Motor were bleeding and disheveled, Jaci had picked the wrong day to wear a v-neck shirt, the bruises around her neck were bright red.

Jaci broke away from the group and took a step toward Tara. Her voice was a painful whisper. "Um, yeah, just a little _accident _on the stairs. Everything's fine though. Just need a few minutes, you know?" She bored a hole in Tara with her eyes. G_ive us a break here, let it go, help me out!_

"Took a tumble, huh?" The doctor read Jaci's look loud and clear, she understood Jaci's bruised neck and face even more. She cleared her throat, looked around the hall and then quickly pointed to a close door across the hall from them. She started walking toward the door and Jaci and the guys followed. Tara opened the door and turned on the lights. "Here, get cleaned up. Use anything you need."

Jaci smiled weakly and whispered, "Thank you."

Tig smiled and said, "Stay out of that stairwell for a while, Doc."

Tara frowned but nodded and left them alone.

Once they were all inside the room with the door closed, BB unloaded on Tig. "Darby was just bluffing, huh? What the hell happened to families being off limits?!"

"No shit! Who's watching Abel and Vix right now?" Jaci hissed as she looked through drawers for gauze pads. She had to stop for a moment to make her hands stop shaking. She found a bandage and handed it Motor who flopped down in a chair, held the gauze to his nose and leaned his head back. "You got blood in your beard too, bud." She whispered to Motor who just smiled.

"Bobby's outside of Abel's room." BB answered as he paced the floor.

Tig glanced at Jaci to reassure her. "Juice is in his normal perch in Vix's room. They're all fine." Tig then shook his head angrily at BB. "Darby's lost his fuckin' mind. He's fuckin' begging for a bullet now." He removed his cut quickly and began to unbutton his ripped and bloodied shirt. He held his ruined shirt to his split lip for a few seconds then threw the shirt on the floor and put his cut back on over his t-shirt.

Jaci stood in the middle of the room with her arms wrapped around herself looking scared and small. A bruise was forming on her forehead from hitting the stairwell floor. Tig locked eyes on her throat and his face softened.

"Jesus." He whispered and walked over to her. He placed a hand on her hip and ran the fingertips of his other hand lightly over her throat, looking over her injuries. The angry bruises were quickly turning purple. The imprint of the Nord's hands could be seen. Tig grimaced. The sobering thought that they had almost been too late hit Tig hard; another few seconds and she would have died. He wrapped an arm around Jaci and pulled her to him. "It's ok. You're ok." He whispered as she gripped the front of his shirt in her fist and hugged him back.

She chanted in her head, _don't cry, don't cry_. She was trying hard to hold it together but that unexpected tender gesture _in public _from Tig had meant the world to her and the flood gates were now threatening to open.

Motor chose that moment to see if his nose was still bleeding. He opened his eyes to check the gauze pad and saw Tig and Jaci sharing their rather intimate moment. He frowned and shot a look at BB, who just shrugged and shook his head, _it's ok. _

Tig walked Jaci backwards and pushed down her gently into a chair. He spoke quietly to her, "Adrenaline's going to wear off, don't want you hit the deck."

He pulled away from Jaci, suddenly remembering the company in the room with them. "Ok, new rule." He stared at Jaci, who was beginning to pull herself together. "You are not to be alone _at any time_ until further notice." He pointed back at Motor while still staring at her. "Meet your new shadow." He glanced at Motor who nodded back at him once, silently agreeing to full time bodyguard duty. Normally Motor didn't take orders from anyone but BB or Trace but he is was happy to make an exception this time.

"You going to fight me on this?" Tig asked Jaci.

She shook her head and struggled to talk. "No. Nearly murdered in a stairwell; he can tie me to his belt loop with a damn string if he wants." Her voice was extremely hoarse; she thought she probably sounded a lot like Happy.

"Need to find Clay, let him know Darby's serious." BB interjected.

Tig ran his hands threw his hair. "Yeah."

Motor stood up, finally speaking. "You guys decide to pop him, I want in."

"Absofuckinglutely." Tig smiled. "You still need to go a few rounds in the ring?"

"Naw, I'm good." Motor replied. Seeing Tig wail on the Nords and his tender handling of Jaci cleared up any doubts Motor had about the guy. Tig wasn't the obvious choice for his cousin, but there was something there. "How bout you?"

"All good, brother." He held his hand out to Motor who shook it once. The two men exchanged a long look; Tig nodded curtly once and released his new friend's hand.

Jaci wondered what the hell had just been said between the two of them; she was pretty sure it was something to do with her though.

Tig and BB left to find Clay and figure out the next move. Motor and Jaci elected to stay at the hospital, figuring they were probably safe from another Nord attack for the day.

Darby parked his truck in the diner parking lot and took a look around. He saw Clay and Tig's bikes in the lot. He rolled his neck as stepped out of the truck wondering why the hell he ever agreed to meeting those two alone. But the call from Tig had totally broken protocol. Usually if the Sons wanted to talk they hunted him down at the workshop or the bar and sat up a meet. This call was urgent…probably because Jaci Parker had squealed to the Sons about his little elevator chat with her. Fucking bitch, why couldn't she rat on something important…like her part in killing his nephew?

Clay and BB sat side by side in a booth and watched Darby walk into the diner. Tig leaned up against the counter directly across from the booth, his eyes boring holes into Darby. He wanted to beat the shit out of the cocky bastard on sight but had promised Clay that he would behave himself. Maybe Darby would slip and do something stupid so he could justify putting another Nord in the hospital today.

"And what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?" Darby asked as he walked along side the booth.

"You know what you did, asshole." Tig answered from behind him.

Clay shot Tig a look and then motioned toward Darby. "Sit."

Darby slid into the booth and a moment later Tig sat down next to him, putting his right arm across the back of the booth. Darby frowned at him. "Feelin cozy tonight? Wanna cuddle with me?"

BB cleared his throat and leveled his gaze at the Nord. "You know who I am?"

"Yeah, I know who you are." Darby replied flatly. He recognized him as Jaci's uncle. Great, it looked like the redneck was going to run the meeting.

BB nodded and crushed out his cigarette. "Good, that that means we can skip the part of this conversation where you try to figure out how full of shit I am. I'll get straight to the point, you better thank your lucky stars that my niece is only battered and bruise right now or else we would be having this conversation in the middle of the desert."

Darby frowned and took a look at the faces of the Sons in the booth with him. Something was wrong, way more wrong than him just throwing some idle threats at a girl. "Battered and bruised?"

Tig snapped his head toward Darby and hissed, "Do not play fucking dumb with us!"

"I'm not…what the hell are you talking about?" Darby looked genuinely confused. The Sons all shared a look. He was clueless.

Clay leaned forward. "Two of your guys jumped Jaci in the stairwell at the hospital an hour ago. Tried choking her out but her cousin and Tig here broke up the little party in the nick of time."

Darby listened to the recap with gritted teeth. He looked at BB. "Is she ok?"

"Like you give a fuck." Tig growled.

"Hey…now look… I'll admit threatening her wasn't my smartest move ever but that's all it was…a threat. I didn't green light anybody getting jumped. My guys went too far…on their own." As Darby pleaded his case to the Sons, his cell phone rang.

"No shit." Clay replied and then added, "You may want to take that - probably your little heads up call. Better late than never."

Darby answered the call, "What?" He listened to the quick rundown and then replied, "Yeah, well, you're too fucking late." And slammed his phone shut. He ran his hand over his face in disgust. "Sounds like you fucked up my guys pretty good."

"Jenkins may be walkin' with a perm-a-limp." Tig smirked. "And ole Hoover is going to need to learn how to jerk off with his other hand for a while."

BB laughed coldly at Tig's recap of the Nords' injuries and then tapped the table. "I can assure you of two things, Darby. One... that Jaci's fine and two... you have a better chance at banging me on this table than you do of layin' a hand on her again, or Vix or Abel for that matter."

Darby had been completely blind sighted by the news of his guys taking the ill fated initiative and attacking the Parker bitch. His normal bravado had been temporarily rattled but he fought to quickly pull his shit together. He nodded at BB and then chuckled, "I appreciate the offer but I'll pass."

"Yeah?" BB asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah." Darby's cockiness was flaring. "What makes you think you can protect them 24/7?"

BB pushed around his crushed cigarette for a moment and then locked eyes on Darby. "Because family ties being what they are... I presume you weren't born by Immaculate Conception. So your mother, father, brother, sister, niece, NEPHEW ... anything else happens to a family member of mine, blood... marriage… or MC.... we AIN'T coming after YOU, Darby."

Tig chuckled and then added, "Yeah, at least not first."

Clay smiled and lit up a cigar. "See Darby, anyway you look at it, there is no light at the end of this particular tunnel. So call off your dogs."

"Why should I? Like I pointed out to Miss Parker, the deal got reneged on. Everyone at this table knows my nephew rotted in a grave of Parker diggin'."

"I don't know that. No one ever found a body and not a shred of solid evidence against Jaci or Vix" Clay shrugged innocently. "If your nephew did take a dirt nap, as you are so quick to imply, maybe it was of your own doing. If memory serves, he was getting a bit greedy and hard to control." Clay sneered again. "Or was it that he was turnin' a little light in the loafers?"

Tig laughed "A stigma like that on a family in a town like Charming? Besides ain't being a fag against Hitler's divine plan?"

Clay nodded. "Wouldn't exactly qualify you and yours for that entry into the Aryan Brotherhood you're so hungry for."

Darby smirked. "My nephew was no fag. And I think you're confusing our worlds, Clay... 'cause that little power hungry for control scenario sounds a whole lot like the tales of trouble brewing between you and Jax Teller."

The guys engaged in a stare off until Darby finally nodded and then knocked on the table. "Alright, I'll stay out of it. That ATF bitch wants you so bad, she'll get you eventually." He looked to Tig and said, "Move."

Tig glanced at Clay who nodded once; meeting was over. Tig slid out of the booth.

As Darby stood up, Clay shook his head. "Be smart for once in your life Darby. I don't know what Stahl's been whispering in your ear but if SAMCRO gets brought down by a RICO charge… don't think you won't be drowning right along side us. Keep that in mind."

Darby turned on headed for the door. Tig smiled and called after him, "Tell Jenkins and Hoover we said 'hi'."

BB made his way back the hospital. Motor had taken Jaci home shortly after the attack to prevent any suspicions. Her bruises were way too obvious. He found Roxy sitting in Vix's room. She looked up from the book she'd been reading and shot him a smile, "How you doin', baby?"

"This has got to be the longest damn Thursday I've ever lived through." BB replied with a sigh.

Shutting the book she nodded, "I know it seems that way but even the longest, darkest day only has 24 hours in it."

BB put his hand on his head and snapped it to the right – _crack_ – then to the left –_crack! _Then he took a deep breath. "So how'd you manage to un-plant Ortiz?"

"That doctor, the one who him and Jaci have taken to calling Dr. Dickhead, and I think he resembles that moniker more and more… he suggested that Juice was becoming psychotic." At a raised eyebrow from BB she clarified, "Apparently if you spend too much time here you lose your mind." She held up her hands and shook her head, "Honest to Christ, I was sitting right in this chair when he said it."

BB nodded, "And so he left for a while?"

"That is one way to put it. Another way would be that he was forced to leave by Security after threatening to take that _Mont Blanc_ pen outta Dr. Dickhead's hand and stab him in the throat with it. His Gramma and Mr. Darling were here at the time, so they took him home. I promised to call if her condition changes."

The words were no sooner out of her mouth when alarms on the tower of monitors started going off. BB's eyes shot from the machines, to Vix lying in the bed, to his wife. "What the…."

"They've been doing that for a while. A nurse just comes in, adjusts some wires, and hits the reset button." Roxy answered matter-of-factly. "Watch out darlin', here she is now…"

A nurse walked into the room and glanced at the monitor. "Someone's heart is racing today... you missin' your man? I can see why ... he's a cutie and devoted as a puppy." She shook her head. "Damn doctors... that poor boy ain't crazy... he's worried sick 'bout you. So you need to stop this nonsense and get better you hear me?"

Another alarm started going off on yet another machine. "Ooh, someone is being sassy… well, I…" A quick look of panic flashed across the nurse's face and she began mumbling aloud to herself as she scanned the various monitors. "Oxygen rate isn't good either… BP is dropping,"

BB and Roxy stood there watching as the room quickly filled with medical personnel. Dr. Dickhead strode into the room and began barking orders. He glanced over in their direction and snapped at one of the nurses, "Get the family out of here!"

_**Stay tuned for the rest of HELL WEEK…**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Fire & Ice**

**Chapter 18- HELL WEEK ****(**_**our**_** version of Better Half)**

**By BG and Reaper**

**PART 4: ****FRIDAY Prayers and Punches**

Tig had been sitting across from Jaci and Motor for an hour and a half. Serious déjà vu…same as yesterday, only today Jaci was silent and somber, no joking around or reading Cosmos together today. She was doing the best she could to hide her neck bruises from last night's drama. She wore jeans, a black thermal shirt, and an unzipped hoodie with her hair down around her shoulders. Makeup had almost completely covered the bruise on her forehead and the long sleeves covered the bruises that Hoover had left on her arms by holding her down.

Tig was beginning to worry about her. She was dodging eye contact with him. She sat fidgeting with her father's ring that she always wore around her neck, her pointer finger was inside the ring and she kept pulling it back and forth along the silver chain. She was distracted and jumpy; a nurse had tapped her on the shoulder earlier and Jaci had flinched so hard it looked like she had been electrocuted. Tig have been feeling guilty for what had happened to her but his guilt was turning to annoyance fairly quickly since he really didn't know how to _deal _with guilt. He caught Motor's eye and gestured towards the water fountain. Jaci hardly paid them any attention as both men stood and walked away from her.

"She been like this all morning? Did she sleep any last night?" Tig whispered.

Motor nodded. "Was asleep soon as her head hit the pillow. I checked on her a few times, she was out. This morning…" Motor stared across the room at his cousin and shook his head. "Keeps sayin' she's fine…but she ain't fine. She's shook up, scared."

Tig clenched his jaw.

Motor leveled his eyes on Tig. "We never shoulda left her alone."

Tig nodded in agreement. "I know, man…that's on us."

Tig had a sneaking suspicion that Jaci _was _scared but her fear was of _him_ instead of the Nords. She had been lost in thought and he was pretty sure she was thinking about talking the Feds again. _Goddamnit_. "I think she's over thinking shit again." He blew out a deep breath. "Take her to the chapel on the other side of this wing. I'll meet you there in five minutes." Motor didn't ask for a reason, only nodded and went to snag Jaci.

"What are we doing here?" Jaci asked as she and Motor stood in front of the doors to the hospital chapel. "You think I need some praying time?"

Motor shrugged and glanced up and down the hallway. "Sounds like your boyfriend wants to have a come to Jesus talk with ya." Jaci frowned at him and started to protest, but Motor jerked his thumb toward the chapel. "Go inside." She knew better than to argue.

Roxy and BB arrived to an empty waiting room. They figured Jaci and the guys might be in the cafeteria eating breakfast and were about to go check when Chibs and Half Sack sauntered up the hall. Roxy said her helloes and then went to get Juice.

Chibs slapped Juice on the shoulder as soon as he was close enough. "BINGO was a riot last night! Those Olds are fuckin' crazy! That 69 shit had me laughin' my arse off."

Juice frowned for a second and the light bulb went off in his head. "Oh shit! I totally forgot! Vix and I usually handle that and if we can't then Jaci does….damnit!"

"No worries, we had ya covered, brother." Chibs said with a grin.

Roxy smiled and thought about the bikers handling the game. Vix had filled her in a long time ago about Juice's relationship with the Olds and the Thursday night game and the general nice stuff he did for them.

"Uh, Chibs, honey…I think that accent of yours is sexy as hell but I honestly can't understand you half the time. How the hell did a bunch of senior citizens with hearing aids understand you?!"

Half Sack raised his hand, "I called the balls."

Chibs snorted with frustration. "You know… the only way NOT to have an accent is NOT to TALK. You fuckin' people ever think for a minute that I might have trouble understandin' you?"

"I reckon you might." BB laughed thinking of all their thick Southern accents.

Tig walked up and nodded at Motor. "Thanks, bro. I need to talk to her about some shit." He didn't know how much Motor knew about Jaci's brilliant plan to turn herself over to the Feds so he played off the visit as relationship based. "Personal shit."

"Take all the time you need." Motor replied. "Cheer her ass up if you can." Tig nodded and slipped inside.

Jaci was seated in the middle of a pew towards the front of the room. She turned around when she heard the door open and watched as Tig walked quickly to where she sat. He slid into the pew and sat down on her left. She swallowed hard and whispered, "You're breaking the buddy system rule so I guess this is important?"

He skipped any pleasantries and went straight to the point. "You thinking about waffling on talking to the Feds?" He turned to watch for her answer. She only shrugged and looked down at her hands in her lap. He gritted his teeth and growled, "Give me a straight answer, Jaci."

A moment passed and without making eye contact, she replied, "Yeah, I'm thinking about it." She started to pick at her lip nervously.

Tig sat sideways on the pew and watched her for a half a second; she was a defeated nervous mess. _Goddamnit don't you fucking fall apart on me! _Without thinking he reached out and roughly knocked her hand away from her lip. While she was still stunned from the slap, he scooted closer and put his right arm across the back of the pew. He leaned into her and in a fierce whisper asked, "What part of KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT do you not understand?! You were told what to do....you need to fuckin do it!"

She blinked at his slap and his use of the F bomb in church, stunned for a moment by the rough behavior. "Is this hostility coming from you or from Clay?"

He shook his head. "There's no difference, even your uncle would be on your ass at this point. I'm giving you the chance to smarten the fuck up without getting them involved. What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Tig, I don't _want_ to do this but I don't…" Jaci started to explain but Tig cut her off.

"Do you know how much shit we would be in if we got caught together in here? I told them I could keep you in line and I'm going to fucking do it. You making me take a stupid risk like this…I can't have you..." He was too angry and frustrated and fumbled for the right words.

"Can't have me what? Thinking for myself? Is that the problem?" She shot back. "So you're keeping me in line? That's all you're here for...keeping me under your thumb?"

"You know that's not it."

"I don't know shit!" Jaci spat at him and then immediately shot her eyes upward, a silent apology for cussing in church. "I DO know that last night was the closet I've even been to dying and I didn't enjoy it! And the brilliant plan of BEING COOL doesn't exactly seem to be working so I am thinking I need to be PROactive. Being REactive got me choked out in a stairwell!"

Tig squeezed the back of the pew with his right hand and rubbed his face with his left. They glared at each other, both fighting mad. Jaci had her right hand clenched into a fist. He dropped his eyes and tried to regain his composure while shaking his head. _How the fuck do I get through to her? Obviously can't yell at her, she's just going to yell fuckin back at me. Ok, ok…she's scared, that's why she bugging out. Make her not scared, asshole. _

"Ok, ok…just calm down." Tig put his hand on her back. She moved slightly away from him. He softened his eyes and held up his left hand as if to say _it's ok_ and she finally relaxed into the pew. "Look…I know you got your cage rattled last night. That never should have happened…you getting hurt… that's on me and Motor. Shouldn't have left you alone." He tapped his chest with his hand and stared at her hard. "_I_ should have never left you alone…should have known better." His hand fell to her leg. "But all that's squashed now. We talked to Darby; he knows he is an inch away from dying. All of this is going to blow over. You just have to trust me."

Jaci frowned and Tig kept his eyes locked on her as he moved as close as he could to her. He squeezed her hand. "Do you trust me?"

Jaci nodded without hesitation. She did trust him…to a point. Other than her family, there was no one else she wanted in her corner more than Tig. She was just afraid there was something he was missing when he thought about the situation they were in…

He raised his eyebrows, "Say it."

She rolled her eyes but complied. "I trust you."

"Good. Now…have I _ever_ promised you anything?" He asked quietly.

She frowned and then smiled sadly, looking away. "No."

"That's right I haven't…so you'll know what I am about to say isn't bullshit." He pulled her face back towards him. He knew how persuasive he could be when he wanted. "Look at me…nothing else is going to happen to your family. I won't let you get hurt again, ok? We're all coming out of this just fine. I promise you that." He watched as she thought about his words and then began nodding. He nodded along with her and then surprised them both by leaning in and kissing her. It just seemed like the natural thing to do.

Her first reaction was to pull away from the kiss but after the week she had had, a little human touch from him was exactly what she needed. For a moment her mind cleared and all she thought about was him, no sick sister, no near death attacks, no legal drama…just him. She kissed him slowly. His hands moved to her face and she pulled on the front of his shirt. He broke the kiss for a moment to grin at her; she smiled back and leaned into kiss him again. A moment later she made the mistake of opening her eyes and glancing over his shoulder…right into the staring face of Jesus…well, a crucifix hanging on the wall. Her eyes widened as she remembered her surroundings. She pushed Tig away from her.

"Oooh, we have to stop." Jaci blurted. "I think you go to Hell for making out in church."

Tig smiled devilishly and licked his lips. "My ticket was bought and paid for a long time ago so I can do whatever I want." He reached for her again but she slapped his hand away.

"Well, I'm not a lock for Hell just yet…besides, I can't be pissing Him off too much. I need Him too much right now." Jaci stood up. Tig looked up at her and pouted but then stood too.

"Alright…to be continued." He nodded at her. "You good and solid now?"

"Yeah. Sorry for the panic." Jaci replied. She felt oddly better. She had to admit that she had been wallowing in self pity and doubt all morning, maybe she had just needed some to shake her out of it.

"Give me a bit of a head start and then you can leave." Tig replied as he kissed her on the forehead and headed for the door.

Jaci leaned her head back and looked toward the heavens and mouthed her penance for the make-out session, _I'm so sorry…but he is very persuasive and sort of irresistible sometimes…but I'm sure I'm not the first one to tell you this!_

Tig walked back into the main ICU waiting room, which was now full of people. He walked over to where Chibs, Halfsack and Juice were standing. He nodded to Father Carlin, Ruby and Henry who were talking with Roxy and BB.

"Full house." Tig commented.

Juice nodded. "Yeah, hey where's Jaci?"

Tig didn't miss a beat in his reply. "Taking a walk with Motor. Should be back any…" He stopped and nodded down the hall. "There they are."

As Jaci walked up and spotted Father Carlin, her eyes widened. _Holy shit…I make out with a guy in church five minutes ago and God sends a priest to kick my ass. Shit!_ Her eyes then darted to Tig, who knew exactly what she was thinking and had a huge smirk on his face.

Roxy waved her over. "Father Carlin was just telling us how much Vix helps out with Bingo and takes Ruby and her friends to Mass on occasion."

Jaci bit back a smile, recognizing the slight change Roxy's voice when her aunt said _Mass_. Roxy was a Southern Baptist through and through, even if she hardly ever went to church. Jaci just muttered, "God is God, Rox."

Ruby smiled at Jaci and put her hand on the girl's shoulder as Juice walked over. "The reason we're here, dear, is that Henry and I took up a little collection around our apartment building for Vix. Father Carlin and the church added a bit as well. We thought you all could use it since Vix is missing so much work."

Jaci and Juice shared a stunned looked. She fumbled for a response as tears stung her eyes and Ruby placed an envelope in her hand.

"Grams, you guys didn't have to do this." Juice said.

"Yeah, I…we can't take this." Jaci replied and tried to return the money to Ruby.

"Like hell you can't." Father Carlin put his hand out to stop Jaci. "Vix brings a lot of people joy…in her own smartass little way. She needs a little help right now and we're doing what we can. End of story."

Jaci swallowed. "Uh…then…thank ya'll very much?"

Roxy took to hugging everyone. BB shook hands with Father Carlin while grinning, "A Father that cusses…hell, you're alright by me."

A few hours later Roxy and BB headed to the Hamburger Barn for lunch. As they picked at their food, Roxy began to lecture BB about his tiff with Juice. "When are ya'll going to just make up and place nice? All that mess was just a hotheaded misunderstanding and you know it."

BB smirked and dug in his jeans pocket. "Little bastard wrote me a note. Gave it to Jaci to give to me.' He tossed it on the table for Roxy to read. "Hope he don't expect a written response. I ain't nobody's goddamn pen pal."

She glanced over it and smiled. "I think that was very mature and sweet of him. At least HE is trying to patch things up."

BB rolled his eyes. "Might as well have said, 'do you like me?, check yes or no. Idiot. " Roxy gave him a _look_ and he grumbled, "Ok, ok…I'll talk to him...eventually."

Roxy took a sip of her water and rubbed her hands together. "So…what do you think of the other one?"

"Jaci's guy?" BB shook his head in frustration. "I be damned if I understand that. I thought we taught her better than that."

"The girls were brought up in the club, baby. We shouldn't be too surprised when they fall for Sons."

"Vix and Jaci are day and night…and so are my expectations of them." BB shrugged. 'But if you watch Jaci and him together, there's _something_ there. And he damn sure took care of business last night when it came to getting' those guys off her. A little too intense for my likin' though, I mean I don't know what in the hell him and Jaci talk about. But Motor's takin' a shine to him and that's saying a hellvua lot."

Roxy grinned and waggled her eyebrows. "Maybe they don't do a lot of talking." BB grimaced in disgust.

Jaci and Motor arrived a little bit later after Tig slipped back to Teller Morrow for a bit. BB slid out of the booth and hugged Jaci tightly. They had been a little short with each other since her confession and subsequent attack and it was time to get back on track. He slapped Motor on the shoulder and the guys headed to a booth of their own across the room. "Let the hens squawk."

"Make you think squawk." Roxy teased and slapped her husband on the ass as he walked past. Jaci returned from ordering a burger from the counter and sat down.

"That was very nice of Ruby and Henry to take up that collection for Vix. I sure do like them." Roxy said.

Jaci nodded. "They're good people. They crack me up. Ruby's this strange mix of righteous and kind. I mean she is unnecessarily nice to everyone, but she is also judgmental as hell, verging on intolerant some times. I agree with most of her politics and some of her judgments, so it usually doesn't bother me, but I do wonder how she got to be so damn sure of herself."

Roxy nodded and laughed. "That Henry's a charmer; reminds me of Clark Gable."

"Henry's seen a lot in his years, he's still got some major pull in this town though apparently. He's smart as a whip, can spot bullshit at 500 feet. Kinda like a General only without being chauvinistic. Both of 'em think the world of Vix."

"Well enough about them." Roxy leaned forward, grinned, and whispered, "Ok, spill it."

Jaci played dumb. "Spill what?"

"The dirt about T…"

Jaci's hand shot up. "No names! Ummm, call him Kevin."

Roxy let out a laugh. "Kevin?! He's about as far away from a Kevin as I've ever seen."

"Exactly."

"Well then…how did this…whatever it is start with Kevin. Do you know what you're doing? Is this goin' somewhere, sweetie?"

Jaci gave her aunt the shortened version of events up to this point and added at the end, "And no I don't know what I'm doing and I doubt its going anywhere. I mean, I can't believe I am saying this, but my own little sister has a more solid relationship than I do right now." She struggled to explain. "There just aren't a lot of strings attached when it comes to Kevin and me."

"That's not very like you." Roxy frowned. "Casual isn't your thing."

"Hell, I say that…but things aren't casual, they're pretty damn intense. It's all just very unconventional. But that's fine by me. I got my ass burnt by conventional."

Roxy sighed. "Dean?"

"Yeah, think about it Rox. Dean and I were text book, picture fucking perfect. We had everything…college, jobs, cars, house, going to be a perfect bridge between the MC and the legit side. But where did it get me? Dean promised me the damn world. I got lied to and my heart ripped out."

"I hate to say it, baby, but Kevin's more than likely gonna hurt you too."

Jaci shook her head. "He doesn't bullshit me or promise me any future, therefore he can't renege on it. My expectations with him are pretty much at zero…can't ever be disappointed. Sure, he pisses me off and drives me crazy sometimes, but I'm learning his quirks so most of his shit doesn't surprise me."

"I guess you can't help who you fall for, huh? Lord knows no one would have put BB first on my list."

"Life's full of surprises that's for damn sure."

Roxy had to admit her niece made a very convincing argument. What was the harm with her seeing Tig? Jaci was in an odd place in her life right now, she didn't need another serious relationship just yet. Roxy was dying to know one thing though. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the guys were still a ways away. "Well, whatever this is with you and Kevin, I damn sure don't blame you for the physical attraction. I'd be on that man like white on rice." Roxy grinned mischievously. "He's good, ain't he?"

Jaci couldn't help but laugh. She looked down at her plate while still smiling. Roxy sometimes forgot that she was effectively a MOM instead of a friend to Jaci. But there would be no denying her, she would harass until she got an answer so Jaci just bit into a French fry and raised her eyebrows, "You have no idea."

"Better than Dean?"

"Ok, we are NOT going there. Not talking bout bedroom antics with my mama. End of discussion!"

All the guys, except for Juice, were seated at the table for Friday night Church. Towards the end of the meeting, Clay asked how the Parkers were doing. Tig nodded toward Bobby. He pulled out a little flip top notebook from his shirt pocket.

Jax smiled. "That's a cute little notebook you got there."

"Well, your sister in law is a super nerd, what can I say?" Bobby replied as he pulled on his reading glasses. "Ok, I went by this afternoon, Jaci gave me the rundown and the notebook cause I can't remember all this shit. Vix's condition is still pretty unstable. She's had three days of antibiotics, two blood cultures, one lung biopsy...."

"And a partridge in a pear tree." Bobby had paused to try and decipher his own handwriting. Chibs thought he was finished and added his comment in a sing song voice.

Everyone at the table just stared at the Scotsman. Piney's croaky laugh finally broke the silence. Jax fought back a smile, Tig smirked.

Half Sack shook his head. "That's so wrong.

"Anything else, Bobby?" Clay asked.

Bobby shrugged and threw the notebook on the table. "The main doc, that Jaci and Juice so affectionately call Dr. Dickhead, told them there is nothing left to do but pray."

"Shit. That's kinda grim." Jax muttered.

"Yeah, Roxy didn't like the sound of that either. Got in a screaming match with the doc and took a swing at him. Thankfully BB defected the punch with his shoulder."

"Now we know where the Parkers get that right hand of theirs." Chibs added.

Clay nodded toward Juice's empty chair. "And how is he holdin' up?"

Jax took a drag off his cigarette and exhaled while he snubbed it out in the ashtray before him. "I talked to Jaci on the phone today. According to her, Juice is wound up tighter than a fuckin' alarm clock. Said one minute he looks like he's going to trash the place, the next minute like he might bail out the window. I promised I'd go talk to 'em. Gonna head over to St Thomas after this, check on the kid and the Parkers, talk to Juice."

Clay frowned. "Him and BB on speaking terms yet?"

Bobby shrugged. "Jaci said Juice extended the olive branch. Time will tell whether Billy Bob accepts it or takes it and beats Juice over the head with it."

Clay looked to Tig. "You got anything to add?"

Tig shook his head. Jax stared at him, noticing his busted lip and bruised cheek. "Roxy sock you too?" Tig's eyes shifted to Clay and a conspiratorial look passed quickly between the two.

Clay cleared his throat. "Small altercation last night. Nothing to worry about, it's been handled but Darby's been hanging around the hospital, trying to push the issue about his nephew and the Parkers. Last night two of his guys tried to jump Jaci in the stairwell."

Jax frowned with anger.

"What the fuck?" Chibs asked with concern on his face.

The Prospect was instantly mad. "Is she ok? Did they hurt her?"

Tig snorted, "It's fine, Motor and I handed down a righteous beat down. She's a little bruised up but she's fine." He glanced toward Clay and added, "She's solid."

Clay continued. "Darby's been put on notice. We kept it all quiet, didn't want to shake up Juice. BB, Motor, Tig, Bobby…they've been keepin' eyes on the Parkers."

Jax nodded. "Well, good call considering what Jaci said about him. If it's handled no need to freak him out."

"Ok, anything else?" Everyone was silent. Clay banged the gavel ending the meeting.


	6. Chapter 6

**Fire & Ice**

**Chapter 18- HELL WEEK ****(**_**our**_** version of Better Half)**

**By BG and Reaper**

**PART 6: Everybody's Working for the Weekend**

Saturday was a day of waiting. Vix's vital signs were all looking up and the doctors made the decision to start bringing her out of the medically induced coma she had been in for days. Visitors came and went, including the crew from Snips. Eve, Vix's boss, was especially worried about her and kept saying how the place just wasn't the same without her around. The Olds made their daily round of visits, as did various Sons and Gemma. The Bama crew rotated in and out, running to Jaci's house for showers and naps, etc. The waiting game was beginning to run everyone down…hard. In one of the waiting room magazines, Jaci and Juice had found a top ten list of ways to know you're going crazy…they related to half of them.

Late Saturday night, Juice sat in a chair, scooted up next to Vix's bed. He was slumped forward, asleep with his forehead flat against the bed, his arms slung over her legs. He had fallen asleep while giving play by play of a Brady Bunch episode to a sleeping Vix. Dreams grabbed him quickly, most of them not making any sense. His current dream was bothering him. Rain drops were falling on his head and no matter where he ran, even indoors, he couldn't get away from them. He grunted in his sleep as something huge hit his head. _Now that wasn't rain, what the fuck?! _ He jerked awake and raised his head slightly, muttering, "Damnit!" A hand pawed at his face…Vix's hand. She had been slapping his head.

He jerk straight up and looked at her, she was staring back at him with wide frightened eyes. A huge grin spread across his face. "Oh baby! Oh my God!" Tears were stinging his eyes as he scrambled up to hug her. "It's ok, it's ok. You came back! I knew you would come back!" His mind was racing with everything he should be doing right now; calling the nurse, yelling for Jaci…but all he could was hold her hand and stare at her and well…cry…tears of pure joy.

Vix kept frowning and then began to pull at her throat. The last thing she could remember was being in jail and being in horrible pain. She woke up to a hospital room and Juice's tattooed head. She was trying to talk but didn't realize she was vented. Her throat was hurting, she couldn't talk, Juice was grinning and crying…she was about to freak out.

Juice pulled his shit together quickly when he registered the panic in Vix's eyes. He quickly explained her medical drama that had unfolded in the past week and was able to calm her down for a moment. He fumbled around on the bed and finally found the emergency call button. He slammed his thumb down on it with a grin. A moment later a nurse replied, "Nurse's Station."

"She's awake!" He blurted.

The nurse on the line paused with surprise and blurted back, "No shit?!"

Juice laughed, "No shit! She woke me up by slapping me on the head. She wants this vent out now!"

"On our way." The nurse replied.

"Someone tell Jaci…I'm not leaving her." Juice said.

Vix had become a favorite patient of the ICU nurses. Perhaps because they were all suckers for a nice love story and loved the fact that Juice kept a constant vigil. The nurses quick assessed the new situation with Vix and one of them ran out to tell the Bama crew the good news. The next half hour was chaotic as they removed the vent from Vix and got her comfortable. Juice stayed in constant physical contact with her the whole time, offering a smile or calm words to keep her steady. Jaci, Roxy, BB and Motor were pacing the waiting room like NASCAR drivers warming up for a race. They were chopping at the bit to get to Vix.

Vix looked at Juice and managed to breathe out, "J."

He nodded. "Yeah baby..J…it's me, Juice. I'm right here."

She smacked his arm and looked at him like he was retarded. She frowned and tried again. "J…C."

"Oh! J! Jaci! You want Jaci!"

Vix nodded.

The nurse in the room smiled. "I'll go get all of them. Probably shouldn't but there is no way one is going to come without the rest of them." The nurse headed to the waiting room. She smiled as all of the Parkers snapped their attention her way. "You can go see her now." She opened the door wide and stood clear of the stampede. The Parkers ran threw first, Motor was the only one to control himself. He stayed behind, walking with his normal slow, lazy pace. No need to rush, Vix wasn't going anywhere. Besides, he knew better than to get in the way of Roxy when she was headed to her girl. His chances of survival would have been better against a pissed off mama Grizzly bear.

The Parkers rushed into the small ICU room. Roxy was first and went straight to Vix, she had to lay hands on her baby. She smothered Vix with kisses and hugs, all while muttering praises to God. Jaci froze at the foot of the bed, suddenly having a hard time breathing. Relief hit her hard and she just stared at her little sister and let the tears pour down her face. She glanced at Juice, who had backed up from the bed to let Roxy have full access. Smiling at Jaci, he crossed the room to her. They hugged each other fiercely and he found himself tearing up again. They had been through some serious shit the last couple of days and had bonded very tightly.

He rubbed Jaci's back while he held her, "Shhh. It's ok. It's over, it's all good now." Jaci nodded into his chest. BB took a step closer so he could run his hand down the back of her head, stroking her hair. She reached back and grabbed her uncle with one arm in an awkward hug. BB locked eyes with Juice. He saw the tears in the young biker's eyes and any ill feelings he held for the kid disappeared. He up nodded to Juice, who nodded back to him. Sometimes everything that needed to be said didn't need to be _said _at all.

"Ok, everybody pull their shit together. We're probably freaking Vix out." BB whispered. Jaci and Juice broke their hug and started wiping their eyes while smiling. Juice glanced back to see Vix slapping at Roxy, who was bent over hugging her. He took a step toward them.

"Uh, Roxy…I think…" He didn't want to interrupt the moment but Vix looked uncomfortable.

Jaci brushed past him. "Rox..she's not hugging you back, she's tapping out. I think you're smooshing her." Roxy backed away laughing while apologizing.

Vix finally got a good look at her sister and they both began to tear up. Jaci muttered, _oh damnit, there I go again,_ as she leaned over to Vix. The sisters grab a hold of each other and clung for a moment. Jaci whispered to Vix, admonishing her like a child, "Don't you ever scare me like that again. You hear me? You will be in BIG trouble! I will kick your ass SO hard!" Vix nodded and both girls laughed, although Vix's laugh was damn near silent.

BB made his way to the bedside next. Vix just kept shaking her head in wonder that her aunt and uncle were there. She must have been very sick for them to fly out to see her. She had a ton of questions to ask but figured there would be time for that later. Right now, she was full of emotions and tears, but decided to just go with the flow.

Motor finally poked his head into the room. Vix spotted him and attempted a squeal. He ducked his head in embarrassment and walked to the bed. Vix tried to talk but it hurt so she resorted to crude sign language quickly. She held up two hands like she was driving and looked up at him. Motor shook his head and he sailed his flattened hand through the air, telling her he flew to see her. She smiled widely knowing about his fear of airplanes.

"Dumbass, you can still talk. She's the one without a voice." BB called out while laughing.

Motor ducked his head again and leaned over to kiss her on her forehead; she squeezed his hand and then yanked on his long beard with a smirk on her face.

The Parker family, in its extended form including Juice and Motor all took a good look at each other. "Hell of a way to get a family reunion." BB said with a smile. "Just missing Wendy now."

"Speaking of which…I should probably go try to get a call into her." Jaci replied quietly. She excused herself to go tell her older sister the good news.

Jaci paced around the waiting room for a return call from her sister. The protocol for rehab phone calls was that the family would call the clinic and then someone from there would relay the message to Wendy and then if all was going well, she would be allowed to call the family back. The trick was that Wendy was only allowed one call per day so Jaci and Jax had been coordinating their calls making sure all family news was covered by whomever made the call that day. A quick text to Jax had given her the go ahead to make the call to rehab. Jaci's cell finally rang.

"Hey…it's me. Is everything ok?" Wendy asked nervously.

Jaci smiled. "Everything's great. Just wanted to let you know that Vix just woke up." She related the news about the vent removal and her hope that Vix would be home in a few short days.

"Oh my god that is so good to hear." Wendy replied with a sigh of relief. "Between the drama with her and Abel, I'm a damn nervous wreck."

"Well, I think everything is going to be fine…for both of them. Don't be worrying about us, you just worry about you. Too bad you couldn't be here though; we would have had a little Bama family reunion." Jaci said with a laugh.

"Yeah, well…that can't be helped, can it?" Wendy didn't seem amused by the comment. "They could have seen me earlier but they chose just to send flowers and a card."

Jaci stopped walking around the waiting room and frowned at her sister's comment. "BB and Rox called and checked up on you and Abel a couple of times a day, Wendy. They were very concerned."

Wendy sighed. "Not concerned enough to come out here."

Annoyance rushed over Jaci. "Yeah, well…perhaps a drug overdose and a freak medical emergency warrant different reactions."

"Hey goddamnit I have a disease!" Wendy spat back.

"Give me a break." _Oh my fucking God. Do not start the disease bullshit with me please!! _Jaci gritted her teeth. Keeping her patience with her older sister was hard for her, Vix was oddly much better at it. Probably because Vix had partied a lot in her years, she knew what it was like to go wild and have to rein it in. Jaci, with her overly logical brain, couldn't understand the addiction shit. She never understood it with her mother and still didn't now with Wendy. In her mind, if you were doing something bad you just stopped it and pulled your shit together, end of story. No rehab, no crying _poor me_, you just ended it.

"I'm serious, Jaci. They say this shit is heredity. You shouldn't be all high and mighty…this could have been you." Wendy retorted.

Jaci rolled her eyes. "Ok, as much as I would love to punch holes in that theory of yours…I need to get back to Vix."

"Wait, wait, wait. How's Abel?" Wendy scrambled.

"He's great." Jaci bit her tongue and didn't end the sentence with _no thanks to you._ "I'll have Jax call you tomorrow."

By Sunday morning Vix was improving by leaps and bounds. Dr. Dickhead told them that if she stayed on the same recovery track she could be out of the hospital in a few more days. With Vix awake, Jaci and Juice filled her in on everything that she had missed that week, including Cherry's relocation, Dean's warrant removal help, and Stahl's bluffs. She was not amused by any of it. She had a small parade of visitors including some of the Olds, Gemma and Jax.

BB had called Trace back in Bama to spread the good news about Vix and to check on how things were going at work in his absence. They had been running a construction company together for many many years. It had started small, had grown nicely and now like Teller Morrow in Charming, it provided a place of employment for many of the charter's members. Trace had delayed on telling BB the good news about the library job but now with Vix getting better he came clean. Their company had scored a huge contract for a library in the next town over. It was a big job and lots of money and with that came a great deal of red tape. Trace actually could use BB and Motor both back in town but wasn't about to ask them to leave the girls in such a tricky situation out in California.

As soon as BB found out about the job, he feigned being mad at Trace for not telling him sooner for all of two minutes but then they started talking specifics of the job and BB was itching for a way to head back home. With Vix out of the woods now, all that was left was recuperation and Roxy made a much better nursemaid than BB or Motor ever could. BB decided to let the Parker women have some quality bonding time. BB hung up with Trace and went to inform his ladies that the Bama boys were heading home. Even at Vix's bedside Juice had his laptop and found them a late night flight home.

Tig was working on his bike at Teller Morrow late Sunday afternoon when his cell rang. He stood and stretched, grabbing the phone from the work bench in front of him. "Yeah."

"Hey…what are you up to?"

"Dickin' around with my bike. How's Vix doing? Can she talk yet?"

"A little. I'm actually sitting with her right now. Oh, hang on a sec."

Tig heard Jaci put her hand over the phone. He could her say something but only caught the words 'Tig' and 'ok' and then heard Jaci laugh.

"I told her I was talking to you…she grinned and flipped you the bird and tried to say _shithead_."

Tig laughed. "She's fine."

"Well I was just letting you know that the guys are on their way over to the clubhouse to hang out before heading to the airport. They've got a big job to get back to in Bama." Jaci said.

"Job? Club or civilian?" Tig asked.

"Civilian. They've got an hour or two to kill. I think they want to just cut out of here now, no weepy goodbyes and stuff."

"'Kay. You girls alright? The Prospect bothering you?"

"Kip's actually upstairs, he's bummed about Cherry, I thought it might be best if he was alone. Chibs is with us and currently kicking my ass at poker but I am plotting a comeback." The Scotsman could be heard yelling _bullshit_ in the background. "Hey, I need you to do me a favor."

Tig smiled. "Is it sexual in nature?" Clay overheard the comment has he walked up and raised his eyebrows.

"Nooo." Jaci laughed. "He'll deny it, but Motor is getting antsy about the flight back home. You know, giant fear of flying and all that. Can you get him drunk?"

"Well yeah." Tig scoffed. "How drunk?"

"Umm, just shy of shit faced. He has to be able to pass airline security. But he can really hold his liquor so it might take awhile. I wouldn't suggest you try to hang with him drink for drink. But if he starts getting chatty, you'll know you're headed in the right direction."

"Now, now …nobody's gonna drink me under the table. Did you forget who're talking to? I'll get him good and loose. See ya later." Tig replied and snapped his phone shut.

A little bit later BB, Motor and Juice walked into the clubhouse. The few guys standing around cheered when they saw Juice. Tig had one hand wrapped around a bottle of Jack Daniels and a pair of shot glasses in his other hand. He caught Motor's eye and then nodded toward the pool table. Motor needed no arm twisting and headed toward the booze.

The Bama SAA threw back a few shots very quickly and took a long pull off of his beer. The two SAAs shot two games of pool in relative silence, only stopping to take another shot of booze or to rib each other for blown shots of pool. By the end of the games, they were both buzzing pretty well and Tig walked across the room to the bar.

Motor picked out a table, turned his chair around backwards, sat down and poured himself another shot. Tig returned a moment later with more beer, popped the cap on one of them for himself and then leaned back in his chair.

The Bama SAA was starting to relax and gave Tig a long look then said, "Reckon we need to come to a little understandin'."

Tig was amused by drunken Motor and smiled, "Is that right?" He actually figured a little speech like this was going to happen from someone, either BB, Motor, or even Roxy. Normally, he wouldn't stand to be preached at or told what to do but out of respect for Jaci, he was going to do his best just to listen and try to keep his damn mouth shut. But staying quiet might be tricky considering how drunk he was feeling at the moment.

Motor downed another shot and nodded. "You're messin' with some pretty precious cargo. And I ain't gonna sit here and tell you not to hurt her, cause that's bound to happen." He lit a cigarette and blew out a long stream of smoke toward the ceiling. "Because whatever ya'll have is not gonna last."

"Is that a fact?" Tig asked with a smirk.

Motor nodded. "No bullshitting here…you and I both know that guys like us…" He tapped his chest with his fist. "…we ain't meant to be with girls like her. She's too good for you." Motor waved his hand around the clubhouse. "She's too good for this kind of life. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it. They all know it but nobody says anything bout it."

Tig just stared coolly at him. He DID know Jaci was out of his league but he damn sure didn't like HEARING it. "Thanks for the support, Motor." He said sarcastically.

Motor snorted and smiled, "Now hang on, man. I ain't hatin' on you. I'm on your side here." He downed another shot and Tig began wondering if he should take the bottle away from Jaci's cousin. He had lost count of the shots they had downed. "I reckon she's probably the best damn thing to ever happen to ya. So I'm tellin ya to grab on with both hands and hang onto her as long as ya can. Who knows, you might surprise us all.'

Tig laughed and shook his head. "I doubt it. My track record's sort of shit." He grabbed the bottle and poured himself a shot.

"Mine too." Motor got serious again and stared at the table before saying, "That little bastard Dean..." He clenched his jaw as he thought back on that time and started again. "She got hurt bad by that...took all of us to help her pick up the pieces."

Motor leveled his eyes on Tig and said firmly, "Shit like that doesn't need to happen to her again."

Jaci had never exactly explained what had happened with Dean. Tig tried to pry out the reason from a now lit up Motor. "What happened with those two exactly?"

Motor started to answer but then stopped and smiled slightly, "Sorry...ain't my story to tell."

Tig nodded his understanding. He would have to go to the source for that. He shouldn't even care; he always tried to think of him and Jaci as just existing in the moment, not giving thought to the past or the future. But the thought of her being hurt so badly…that just pissed him off to no end.

"You wanna hear the kicker of all that...Dean and me were tight...damn good buddies."

Tig asked, "Then what about bros before hos?"

Motor crossed his arms over the back of the chair and answered simply, "He ain't my bro, he don't wear this cut on his back. And Jaci ain't a ho, she's family. And Dean was nine kinds of wrong. Ain't no overlookin' what he did. But I guess I need to thank the little bastard one day though. If he hadn't fucked up, J and I wouldn't be so close."

"How's that?"

"I was seeing this girl…after awhile J said she was a hussy and a waste of my time but I thought she hung the moon. Turns out I was wrong."

Tig nodded solemnly in agreement. "Jaci is right about a lot of shit…like all the time. Drives me fucking crazy."

"Well, this girl and me broke up and I ain't gonna lie, I was thinking about marrying that bitch so I was all fucked up." Motor scratched his beard and seemed to be lost in thought about the girl for a moment. He shook his head violently and then continued. "J and I spent a lot of nights on BB's porch swing, drinking, bitching about exes, talking bout shit. She helped me pull my shit together. So you see why I'm a bit protective of her?"

"Yeah, I get it." Tig replied. He could just see Motor and Jaci together in his head and knew their porch swing talks were probably a lot like the fire pit chats he had with her. He had his elbows on the table and his head resting on one hand, staring at his empty shot glass. "Talking to her is a little scary…it's too easy, shit just comes pouring out."

"Yep." Motor agreed quietly.

The other guys in the clubhouse had given Tig and Motor their distance. Clay had secretly been waiting for the pair to come to blows but they seemed to be too busy drinking and talking quietly to cause any trouble. Juice finally suggested they should hit the road for the airport.

BB shook his head as he watched Motor. "Damn boy's talking a mile a minute…he's good and wasted. Flight shouldn't be a problem at all now." BB whistled loudly and Motor's head snapped around. "We're hitting the road."

Motor knocked back his last shot and tapped Tig on the arm. "When the time comes to walk away...you just mind your manners. That's all I ask. Understand?"

"Yeah, I got ya."

Motor stood up and grinned, which most people would have found scary. "Good, cause as much as I like ya...I will come bust your kneecaps you get disrespectful with her."

Tig sneered as he stood, "You trying to bust anything on me…that'd be a good fight."

Motor smiled back. "Guaran-damn-teed good time." He grabbed Tig and the two quickly embraced, slapping each other's backs. "Thanks for the

booze."

"Anytime." Tig replied. After Motor, BB, and Juice left, he stumbled over to the couch and laid down. He dialed Jaci's prepaid number, lucky for him it was on speed dial because he really couldn't _see _the numbers in his current state.

"Motor is shitfaced. My work is done." Tig announced when Jaci answered his call.

"You tried to hang with him, didn't you?" She closed her eyes and smiled. She could tell Tig was drunk.

"I didn't TRY…I did. We are equally drunk thank you very much." Tig closed his eyes and almost dosed off. "Too bad the ATF is up our ass…I would meet you at your place and fuck the shit out of you right now."

"How romantic…statements like that…that's totally why I'm with you." Jaci replied sarcastically. "Where are you exactly right now anyway?"

"Clubhouse…couch." He mumbled.

"Good. I think you should go to sleep now."

Tig grunted in agreement and hung up.

_**And that concludes Hell Week. Stayed tuned… soon there will be a new story entitled Caution Lights that will finish up Season One happenings.**_


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